While HBO announced its unbundled streaming service, it is not available; CBS not only announced but it is already available for purchase at this website. At $5.99, consumers can access both the live stream from their affiliate and a large library of on demand TV shows, from I Love Lucy and Twilight Zone to NCIS and The Good Wife. And while the NFL won't be available, some live sporting events and other live events will be made accessible on the streaming app.
For cord cutters wishing to still get TV programming, it might be a good deal. But take the CBS model and watch it get copied by other broadcasters and cable nets, and the costs to subscribe to multiple channels quickly rise. Buy 10 streaming channels at $60 or 60+ cable channels from your cable operator for $60. Still, happy with access to a few channels will certainly make a subscription to CBS a cheaper deal.
There is one other advantage that the CBS streaming model offers. When broadcaster and cable operator get into a license fee battle and their channel is removed from a cable line-up once the contract expires, CBS can now promote their CBS app to access their channel and not promote switching to another cable provider. It may not be a perfect short term solution, but it is certainly an elegant one.
