What CBS Television Distribution does

CBS Television Distribution, operating as CBS Media Ventures since 2021, is a television syndication division of Paramount Global (now Paramount Skydance Corporation following the 2025 Skydance merger). Headquartered in Studio City, California, the division produces or distributes 11 first-run syndicated television series, including Judge Judy, Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Inside Edition, Rachael Ray, The Drew Barrymore Show, Hot Bench, and Women of Wrestling. The division self-reports holding seven of the top ten first-run strips in U.S. syndication and reaching approximately 60 million unique viewers per week across its portfolio, spanning court shows, talk shows, game shows, and entertainment newsmagazines. Core operations are organized around licensing proprietary syndicated content to local broadcast stations, with the division leveraging decades-old franchises as its principal intangible asset base.

The division generates revenue through three principal streams. First, it earns licensing fees and royalties from broadcast television stations and networks that carry its first-run syndicated programming on a per-market basis; pricing is negotiated bilaterally and not publicly disclosed. Second, it handles national barter advertising sales for Debmar-Mercury's and Fox's first-run syndicated programming, earning commissions on the resulting advertising inventory. Third, it operates Dabl, a multi-platform, advertiser-supported lifestyle network launched in 2021, generating advertising and sponsorship revenue across digital streaming distribution. Its primary customer segment is horizontal: U.S. local broadcast stations that license programming to fill daily entertainment, news, and game-show time slots. The division operates within Paramount's CBS Entertainment Group and relies on Paramount's corporate marketing infrastructure, including press distribution through Paramount Press Express, and shares the broader Paramount ecosystem with streaming services Paramount+ and Pluto TV.

Name

CBS Television Distribution

Legal name

CBS Media Ventures

Website

https://cbstvd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

CBS Media Ventures (formerly CBS Television Distribution) is a Paramount division that produces and distributes 11 first-run syndicated television series—including Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, Judge Judy, and Dr. Phil—to U.S. broadcast stations, reaching 60 million weekly viewers, and earning revenue from licensing fees, advertising sales commissions, and the Dabl streaming network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Syndication

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

First-Run Syndication (Original Non-Network Programming) (MPABAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Program Distribution to Stations & Affiliates (Domestic) (MPABAMAC), News & Public Affairs Syndication (MPABAMAF), Free TV / Syndication Distribution (MPADAJAI), Program Format Licensing (Scripted & Unscripted) (MPABANAA), Format & Scripted/Unscripted Franchise Distribution (Adaptation Rights) (MPABAMAK)

Keywords

• Television syndication
• Broadcast content licensing
• First-run series distribution
• National barter advertising
• Daytime programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Studio City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Television Syndication: Syndicates first-run television series to broadcast stations and networks, generating licensing fees from distribution of proprietary programming including Judge Judy, Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Inside Edition, and Rachael Ray.
2. National Barter Advertising Sales: Handles national barter advertising sales for Debmar-Mer's and Fox's first-run syndicated programming, earning commissions on advertising inventory.
3. Dabl Network Operations: Operates Dabl, a multi-platform, advertiser-supported lifestyle network, generating advertising and sponsorship revenue.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

CBS Television Distribution (now operating as CBS Media Ventures) is a television syndication company that produces or distributes 11 first-run syndicated series to local broadcast stations across the United States, including Judge Judy, Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Inside Edition, and Rachael Ray. The division also handles national barter advertising sales for Debmar-Mercury's and Fox's first-run syndicated programming, and operates Dabl, a multi-platform advertiser-supported lifestyle network.

Product overview

CBS Media Ventures operates as a television syndication company offering a portfolio of 11 first-run syndicated series. The core offering consists of long-running, critically acclaimed daytime and prime-time programs including court shows (Judge Judy, Hot Bench), talk shows (Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray, The Drew Barrymore Show), entertainment news (Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition), and game shows (Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!). The company also manages Dabl, a multi-platform lifestyle network, and handles national barter advertising sales for third-party syndicated programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dabl: Multi-platform, advertiser-supported lifestyle network

Products and services

• Judge Judy Long-running syndicated courtroom reality series featuring Judge Judith Sheindlin presiding over real small claims cases; distributed to U.S. broadcast stations.
• Dr. Phil Long-running daytime talk show hosted by Dr. Phil McGraw addressing psychological and life issues; distributed in first-run syndication.
• Entertainment Tonight Long-running entertainment news magazine program covering celebrity news and Hollywood events; syndicated to broadcast stations.
• Wheel of Fortune Long-running syndicated game show featuring contestants solving word puzzles; licensed to U.S. broadcast stations.
• Jeopardy! Long-running syndicated quiz show where contestants answer questions across various categories in the form of questions.
• Inside Edition Long-running syndicated television newsmagazine delivering stories of human interest and breaking news.
• Rachael Ray Long-running daytime talk show focused on food, lifestyle, and entertainment; distributed in first-run syndication.
• The Drew Barrymore Show Daytime talk show hosted by actress Drew Barrymore covering lifestyle, entertainment, and self-improvement topics; distributed in first-run syndication.
• Hot Bench Syndicated courtroom reality series featuring a three-judge panel presiding over real small claims cases.
• Women of Wrestling Women's professional wrestling television franchise featuring all-female wrestlers; distributed in syndication.
• Dabl Multi-platform, advertiser-supported lifestyle network operated by CMV, available at www.dabl.com and distributed across streaming platforms.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Debmar-MercurycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCMV handles national barter advertising sales for Debmar-Mer's first-run syndicated programming, leveraging its established sales force and station relationships to monetize advertising inventory for Debmar-Mercury's syndicated shows.
• FoxcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCMV handles national barter advertising sales for Fox's first-run syndicated programming, providing advertising monetization services for Fox's syndicated content portfolio.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Pluto TV: A Paramount-owned FAST streaming service that is thematically adjacent to CMV's Dabl network, representing the advertiser-supported streaming distribution channel CMV is expanding into.

Direct peers

• Warner Bros. Television Distribution: Distributes first-run and off-network syndicated programming (e.g., Ellen legacy, The Real, court shows) to U.S. broadcast stations, directly competing with CMV for station time slots and barter ad inventory.
• NBCUniversal Syndication Studios: The syndication arm of NBCUniversal distributing first-run talk and court shows to local stations, competing head-to-head with CMV across the same daytime genres.
• Debmar-Mercury: Lionsgate's first-run syndication distributor of shows like Family Feud; overlaps directly with CMV and is also a barter-sales client, making it both peer and partner.
• Sony Pictures Television: Produces and distributes major syndicated game shows and court programming; historically co-owns/distributes Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! franchises, placing it squarely in CMV's category.
• Allen Media Group (Entertainment Studios): Produces and syndicates first-run court and talk shows to broadcast stations and operates ad-supported networks, competing with CMV in both syndication and FAST advertising.
• Fox First Run / Fox Television Stations: Produces and distributes first-run syndicated programming; also a barter-sales client of CMV, making it a direct genre competitor and partner.

Emerging players

• Trifecta Entertainment & Media: An independent syndication and barter advertising sales company distributing first-run and off-network programming to stations, overlapping with CMV's core distribution and barter model.

Broad incumbents

• MGM Domestic Television Distribution: Distributes off-network and first-run programming to U.S. stations as part of a broader studio, overlapping with CMV's syndication distribution activity.
• Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (ABC/Disney): Large diversified media distributor whose station-facing content distribution overlaps with CMV's syndication business, though within a much broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cbs-television-distribution

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CBS Television Distribution