CBS To Stream Episodes Online

CBS announced on Tuesday, as reported by E Online and Reuters, that they are moving forward in the quest to combine their world with that of the internet and your computer and make primetime available to you whenever you want. CBS revealed that it will stream full-length episodes of its primetime series via Innertube, a broadband content delivery site launched in May by CBS. The plan is that, in September, fans of CBS programming will be able to download full-length, new episodes of CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, Survivor, new show Jericho, Numbers, and NCIS the day after the episodes air. For four weeks, fans will be able to download each episode of their favorite CBS show for free with episodes of Jericho and Survivor being available all season long.

President of CBS Digital Media, Larry Kramer, released a statement, reprinted by Reuters that says, "Our belief all along is that all this is additive and doesn't cannibalize the network television. We know there's an audience out there that will watch it and not be turned away by the advertising. Research has shown that most viewing online occurs right after the show airs. In the case of shows coming back, we felt a month's worth of shows was appropriate, but on the other hand we wanted to see if people would go back during a longer time period and watch a show."

So, what's Innertube? Until now, the CBS-owned site, accessible through CBS.com, has had Internet-original programming with titles like Animate This!, Hook Me Up, BBQ Bill, Greek to Chic, and InTurn. CBS has also used Innertube to show clips from some of their more popular properties like The Late Show With David Letterman and The Amazing Race, along with supplementary content for reality shows like Survivor and Big Brother. If you're wondering where some of your favorite CBS shows are, keep in mind that not everything that airs on the network is owned by CBS, so some shows simply can't be put up for free on Innertube, including The Class, Two and a Half Men, and The New Adventures of Old Christine.

CBS is not the first to jump in to the internet episode pool with ITunes already offering shows, including some of the series now planned to be offered for free by CBS, for $1.99. Last May, ABC began streaming some of its most popular shows, including Lost and Desperate Housewives, for free the day after they aired on their website (a plan that will come back when the shows do this fall) and Fox announced this week that they have plans to make shows like 24, Bones, and Prison Break available through the gaming site Direct2Drive.

Employers, beware. The LA Times revealed that Innertube will have something called a "boss button" to hide the content quickly, recognizing that more and more people are doing their web surfing during the day, sometimes at work. Now, primetime can be whenever you want.

[Sources: E Online, Reuters, LA Times]