At times, it’s looked as though the NBCU (NYSE: GE)-News Corp.-(NYSE: NWS) joint venture might launch with CBS on board but chances are getting slimmer as the September start approaches. Beyond the grumbling we’ve heard behind the scenes, NBCU chief digital officer George Kliavkoff told Forbes that the JV still known as NewCo and New Site is likely to add more content before launch but suggested the other broadcast nets aren’t a major focus just now. Kliavkoff: “About a month ago we started to say, ‘It’s getting close to launch, we’re going to put our heads down and launch, and worry about adding additional big content partners later.'”
CBS with its multi-site distribution network would be a more likely candidate that Disney’s ABC. As Kliavkoff explains, “Disney tends to take more of a centrist, protect the network brand rather than the show brand kind of an approach, which in some respects is inconsistent with what we’re doing because we think there’s discovery to be had between the shows. So they will either continue down that path or decide to more broadly distribute their content. If they distribute more broadly, we’re a natural first step for them.”
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