CBS All Access has completed the streaming box circuit, adding Amazon Fire TV to its list of supported devices.
The $6 per month service, now in its second year, offers a live feed of CBS’s broadcast network, along with ad-supported episodes of current TV shows. Classic shows such as Cheers and MacGyver are also available without ads. (Just keep in mind the restrictions: NFL games are blacked out, and some shows, such as The Big Bang Theory, don’t offer their previous seasons.)
All Access still isn’t available throughout the United States, as some of the network’s affiliates aren’t on board. But as of now, CBS says it offers the service in 110 markets, covering nearly 75 percent of the United States.
With the new app for Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, All Access now streams to five television platforms, including Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, and Android TV. It’s also available on iOS, Android, and Windows 10 devices, and on the web. CBS says it will work with “additional connected devices” in the coming months, so perhaps game console and smart TV support is next in line.
Why this matters: CBS is betting big on its streaming video service, having announced an exclusive new Star Trek series coming in early 2017. Still, it’ll have to fight with a growing array of services from other major TV networks, including an increasingly aggressive Hulu and a comedy service from NBC. With so much competition, supporting all the major streaming video platforms has become table-stakes, and CBS has been fairly quick in making it happen.
Author: Jared Newman
Jared Newman has been helping folks make sense of technology for over a decade, writing for PCWorld, TechHive, and elsewhere. He also publishes two newsletters, Advisorator for straightforward tech advice and Cord Cutter Weekly for saving money on TV service.