CBS to sell own TV shows online
New episodes of "Survivor" reality series will be downloadable from CBS.com, cutting out any middlemen.
CBS, which split from Viacom in January, has been trying since last year to appeal to new viewers, who now turn to the Internet and portable media devices for entertainment.
The New York-based owners of the CBS television network and radio stations group already offer top rated CBS shows including "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on Google's video service for $1.99 and on Comcast's on-demand system for 99 cents.
Its latest plan now cuts out the distributor. The company said it plans to share an undisclosed portion of the revenue with broadcast affiliate stations, as it has done with other new media deals.
"It's been our strategy to exploit content across as many platforms as possible," Leslie Moonves, chief executive of CBS, said in a statement.
New episodes will be available shortly after midnight following their airing on TV. Customers will be able to watch the episode for a 24-hour period after paying.