Deal Brings CBS Back to DISH Network

CBS and DISH Network early Saturday said they reached a multiyear pact for carriage of CBS-owned stations across the U.S. as well as the Eye's cable networks, coming after CBS pulled its signals Friday night from the satcaster.

The deal covers 27 CBS-owned stations as well as CBS Sports Network, Smithsonian Channel, TVGN and Showtime Networks, which includes Showtime TV Everywhere and video-on-demand rights.

Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

Under the deal, according to CBS and Dish, all pending litigation between the two companies will be dismissed. That includes the broadcaster's lawsuit over Dish's PrimeTime Anytime and AutoHop services, which allow subscribers with the Hopper DVR to automatically skip commercials in shows. As part of the accord, DISH's AutoHop commercial-skipping functionality will not be available for CBS-owned stations and affiliates during Nielsen's C7 window.

"We are very pleased with this deal, which meets all of our economic and strategic objectives," Ray Hopkins, president, of CBS Television Networks Distribution, said in a statement. "We look forward to having DISH as a valued partner for many years to come."

"We are pleased to continue delivering CBS programming to our customers, while expanding their digital access to Showtime content through Showtime Anytime," said Warren Schlichting, Dish senior VP of programming.

The agreement includes retransmission of 27 CBS-owned stations on Dish in the following markets: New York (WCBS and WLNY), Los Angeles (KCBS and KCAL), San Francisco (KPIX and KBCW), Dallas (KTVT and KTXA), Denver (KCNC), Boston (WBZ and WSBK), Chicago (WBBM), Pittsburgh (KDKA and WPCW), Atlanta (WUPA), Baltimore (WJZ), Detroit (WWJ and WKBD), Miami (WFOR and WBFS), Minneapolis (WCCO), Philadelphia (KYW and WPSG), Sacramento (KOVR and KMAX), Seattle (KSTW) and Tampa (WTOG).

The CBS-Dish deal also grants Dish rights to Showtime video-on-demand content and authentication rights for Showtime Anytime. In addition, the agreement includes "a path" to over-the-top distribution of Showtime. Dish has said it plans to launch an OTT service before the end of 2014, having secured deals with Disney/ESPN, Scripps and A+E Networks.