A new local news streaming service adds CBS-owned stations to its lineup.
Key Details
- CBS and local news streaming platform VUit have agreed to add CBS’s 13 owned and operated local news channels to the platform.
- VUit is a free, ad-based local news streaming service that has quickly taken off in the last few months.
- The platform has had a 31% year-over-year increase in ads served between June 2021 and June 2022 and year-to-date revenue sharing is up 192%, according to CEO of Syncbak the company backing VUit Jack Perry.
- With these 13 stations, VUit now has 260 stations across the U.S. covering 167 news markets.
Why it’s news
As streaming services continue to take off, cable TV has been on a rapid decline affecting many local news stations.
Local stations typically go hand-in-hand with cable television, and as many consumers ditch cable, they are ditching the news as well—but not anymore.
Free ad-based local news streaming service VUit has been rapidly increasing and securing deals with news stations across the nation. The service’s newest deal is with CBS acquiring 13 of the company’s owned and operated local news channels.
With the latest 13 additions, VUit now has 260 stations across the U.S. covering 167 news markets.
“We’ve been in this kind of soft launch mode for a couple of years. Getting a critical mass of stations was goal one. This deal with CBS gets us a big chunk of the U.S.,” says CEO of Suncback Jack Perry.
The free platform allows it to not have to compete for viewers with paid subscription services. It derives revenue from ads and brings in more viewers for local news stations.
While VUit is still in the beginning stages and does not have nearly as many viewers as other larger platforms the viewers on VUit have stuck and are continuously returning to the platform.
The company plans to push marketing in 2023 gaining more viewers and amassing more new stations.