CBS Entertainment

What CBS Entertainment does

CBS Entertainment is the broadcast television programming division of Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ: PARA), responsible for producing and scheduling the CBS Television Network's primetime comedy, drama and reality series, specials, children's programs, daytime dramas, game and talk shows, and late night programs. The division's slate includes iconic franchises such as NCIS, 60 Minutes, Survivor, Ghosts, Fire Country, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the Yellowstone spinoff Marshals, built on a content legacy that traces to CBS's founding in 1927.

The underlying technology and operational backbone is a television broadcasting and streaming content delivery infrastructure that distributes programming across three tiers: over-the-air broadcast on the CBS Television Network, premium subscription streaming on Paramount+, and free ad-supported streaming on Pluto TV. This multi-platform architecture allows CBS Entertainment content to reach broadcast, subscription, and ad-supported audiences simultaneously, and is operated from a New York base as part of Paramount's broader multimedia portfolio.

CBS Entertainment generates revenue primarily through two streams: television advertising sales during high-viewership primetime, reality, and late night programming, and content licensing fees paid by Paramount+ and other distribution partners. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the broadcast network and streaming platforms, with no individually negotiated consumer pricing. The end customer is the general television viewing public across all demographics, and the division's parent — Paramount Skydance Corporation — employs 5,001-10,000 people globally, with operations in markets across North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM. CBS Entertainment itself does not report standalone financials; its results are consolidated within Paramount Skydance Corporation's reporting.

Name

CBS Entertainment

Legal name

Paramount Skydance Corporation

Website

https://paramount.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

CBS Entertainment is the broadcast television programming division of Paramount Skydance Corporation, producing primetime dramas, comedies, reality series, news, and late night shows distributed via the CBS Television Network, Paramount+, and Pluto TV.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Broadcast Television Programming

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPABAMAC

Program Distribution to Stations & Affiliates (Domestic)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Broadcast Syndication & Program Distribution

SECONDARYMPABADAF

Public Broadcasting Production Units & Studios (In-house/Member)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Public/Nonprofit Broadcasting (PBS/NPR-style)

SECONDARYMPABANAJ

Ancillary & Derivative Rights Licensing (Remakes, Spin-offs, Merchandising)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Broadcast Content Sales & Licensing (Formats, Archives)

SECONDARYMPADAJAI

Free TV / Syndication Distribution

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Distribution (Theatrical, Home Entertainment, International Sales)

Keywords

• Broadcast television programming
• Television advertising sales
• Primetime entertainment content
• Reality and game shows
• Content licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: CBS generates revenue through advertising sales on its television network, including primetime shows, reality competition series, game shows, and late night programs. Advertisers pay for commercial slots during high-viewership programming.
2. Content Licensing: CBS content is licensed to Paramount+ streaming platform and other distribution partners, generating revenue through content licensing agreements and streaming rights.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CBS Entertainment is the Paramount division responsible for CBS Television Network programs, producing primetime comedy, drama and reality series, specials, children's programs, daytime dramas, game and talk shows, and late night programs. The division also licenses this programming to streaming platforms including Paramount+ and affiliated digital services, generating revenue primarily through television advertising and content licensing agreements.

Product overview

CBS Entertainment is part of Paramount's global portfolio of multimedia entertainment brands. The company's television programming business operates as the broadcast home for CBS Television Network programs, encompassing primetime comedy, drama and reality series, specials, children's programs, daytime dramas, game and talk shows and late night programming. This core broadcast brand connects with Paramount's broader streaming ecosystem: Paramount+ serves as the premium subscription video-on-demand and live streaming service offering original series and live sports; Pluto TV provides a free ad-supported streaming alternative with hundreds of live channels; CBS Sports delivers year-round sports coverage across broadcast and streaming platforms; and CBS News provides 24/7 news content. Together, these products form a multi-tiered entertainment platform spanning free, ad-supported, and premium subscription models with content spanning drama, comedy, sports, news, reality and children's programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CBS Television Network: The broadcast television network airing CBS Entertainment programming including dramas, comedies, reality shows, and specials

Products and services

• CBS Entertainment Television Network Programming

Quantifiable outcome

• Home to the nation's #1 news program (60 Minutes)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FOX Broadcasting: FOX is the fourth major U.S. broadcast network competing head-to-head with CBS for primetime ratings, sports rights (NFL), and entertainment ad spend with a comparable large-audience programming strategy.
• The CW Network: The CW is a U.S. broadcast network co-owned in part by Paramount (via Nexstar), airing scripted and unscripted programming — directly comparable as a smaller, youth-skewing broadcast peer now operating under similar corporate ownership.
• PBS: PBS is a national noncommercial public television network airing drama, news, and educational programming — directly comparable in network-level broadcast distribution model, distinguished by funding model rather than audience function.
• AMC Networks: AMC Networks operates cable entertainment networks (AMC, BBC America) and AMC+ streaming, focused on prestige scripted and genre programming — a more focused peer to CBS's scripted/unscripted network within the broader Paramount portfolio.
• NBC (NBCUniversal): NBC operates the NBC television network with primetime scripted/unscripted programming, late-night, news, and sports — directly comparable to CBS Entertainment's broadcast network model with overlapping ad-supported, mass-audience strategy.
• ABC (Disney): ABC is a U.S. Big Four broadcast network airing primetime drama/comedy, news (Good Morning America), and late-night — directly competing for the same broadcast advertising dollars and primetime audience as CBS Entertainment.

Broad incumbents

• Netflix: Netflix is the global streaming leader licensing and producing premium scripted content — a broader incumbent competing with Paramount+ (which carries CBS originals) for subscriber attention and original content licensing economics.
• Warner Bros. Discovery: Warner Bros. Discovery operates broadcast (via CW), cable networks (HGTV, TLC, Discovery), and Max streaming — a broader incumbent competing with CBS across scripted originals, news, and streaming (Max vs. Paramount+).
• The Walt Disney Company: Disney owns ABC, ESPN, Hulu, Disney+, and FX — a broader incumbent whose broadcast (ABC) and streaming (Disney+, Hulu) directly overlap CBS Entertainment's value chain across ad sales, originals, and sports.
• Amazon (Prime Video / MGM): Amazon's Prime Video and MGM Studios produce and distribute premium originals and library content — a broader incumbent competing with CBS Entertainment for streaming subscribers and content licensing dollars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CBS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/paramount
• Facebookfacebook.com/CBS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cbsstudios
• Instagraminstagram.com/workatparamount

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A10 records

Investments4 records

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

Frequently asked questions about CBS Entertainment