CBS has signed on to Google’s planned internet TV service, Unplugged, according to a Wednesday Wall Street Journal report.
The newspaper, citing sources close to the deal, said that agreements with Disney and 21st Century Fox are likely to follow.
Unplugged is one of the latest offerings in what’s been a proliferation of over-the-top, streaming video services, as bloated and expensive cable packages have led millions of people to cut the cord and seek alternatives.
The Journal reported that Google plans to offer Unplugged, which will be a “skinny” bundle including live TV channels, for a price point between $25 and $40 a month. That would be roughly comparable with other skinny offerings like Sony’s PlayStation Vue and Dish Network’s Sling TV. Hulu, which is owned by Disney, Fox, Comcast and Time Warner, is also launching a live streaming service in 2017.
Google launched YouTube Red last year, a $10-a-month, ad-free subscription service that includes exclusive original content. Many of the shows on YouTube Red feature creators who shot to prominence on the platform’s free version, such as Joey Graceffa, who stars in horror series “Escape the Night.” According to the Journal, a curated selection of YouTube Red channels will be included in Unplugged.
When contacted by TheWrap for comment, a Google spokeswoman said, “We don’t comment on rumor or speculation.”