CBSN Attracts Younger Demos For Streaming News

For three years, CBSN has been trying to prove that 24/7 news channels don’t have to come on cable. And, according to TVNewser,  their viewership on streaming platforms, computers and phones shows its working.

The CBS News ad-supported streaming service has drawn more than 280 million livestreams in 2017. That’s up 17 percent from the 240 million livestreams the service drew during the same time frame last year.

“CBSN surpassed its record total streams from 2016 well before the end of 2017, a clear signal of growth following a monumental election year,” says CBS News digital svp and gm Christy Tanner.

According to the network’s data, 79 percent of CBSN viewers are in the 18-49 demographic, with an average age of 38. The average CNN viewer is 61 years old, MSNBC’s average viewer is 63 and FNC’s is 68. News executives have made it a goal to bring in a younger audience.

Half of CBSN viewers watch the network via an over-the-top (OTT) service, including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, CBS All Access, XBox and more. The remainder watch on desktop (30 percent) or on mobile (20 percent).