CBS aggressively expands video all over the web

Cory Bergman May 13th, 2007

A year ago, CBS launched its broadband channel called Innertube. Now the network has an honest admission: Innertube is not drawing an audience. So the company plans to pursue a “drastically revised strategy” that involves syndicating its video all over the place instead of trying to draw people into its own site. “It represents a stark departure for the TV industry,” writes Brooks Barnes in the WSJ. “Most of CBS’s major competitors, including Walt Disney Co.’s ABC, General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal and News Corp.’s Fox, are to some degree all betting that they can build their own internet video portals.” In the coming days, CBS plans to announce syndication deals with Facebook and Last.fm to add to Joost, AOL, TV.com and Bebo, among others. “We can’t expect consumers to come to us,” says Quincy Smith, the president of CBS Interactive. “It’s arrogant for any media company to assume that.” How’s that for a quote? (WSJ sub. req.)