TV Guide Digital has been operating as a joint venture between CBS and Lionsgate. Not only do 16 million users visit the website every month to check out what’s on the boob tube tonight, but they also read the Android and iOS apps. CBS has announced that it has purchased the 50% equity stake that Lionsgate owned, and now is in complete control of the entire digital property.
“TV Guide is one of the most-enduring and iconic brands in the world of television and video, and we’re proud to welcome TV Guide Digital to the CBS Interactive family,” said Jim Lanzone, President of CBS Interactive. “TVGuide.com and TV Guide Mobile have the biggest and most-engaged audiences in the valuable TV information category, making them a perfect fit for our portfolio of premium content brands.”
CBS interactive is a juggernaut when it comes to strategically purchasing significant digital properties. It currently owns CNET, GameSpot, TV.com, Last.fm, and Metacritic. All of these companies represent some of the most visited sites on the entire internet. The addition of the TV Guide into its portfolio will make the broadcasting company a digital force to be reckoned with, with the vast majority of them being reading related.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) today announced it has wholly acquired TV Guide Digital, which includes the popular TVGuide.com and TV Guide Mobile properties. Under the terms of the deal, CBS Corporation acquired the remaining 50 percent stake in TV Guide Digital shares from Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF). CBS and Lionsgate’s 50/50 partnership for the highly distributed TVGN cable network, announced on March 26, will continue.TVGuide.com and the TV Guide Mobile apps will become part of CBS Interactive’s Technology, Games and Lifestyle group, which also operates TV.com, the web’s largest social media TV site, as well as the industry-leading CNET, GameSpot, Last.fm, MetroLyrics, Metacritic and CHOW brands, among others. Together, TVGuide.com, TV Guide Mobile and TV.com will give fans the most-comprehensive information about the programming they love.
“TV Guide is one of the most-enduring and iconic brands in the world of television and video, and we’re proud to welcome TV Guide Digital to the CBS Interactive family,” said Jim Lanzone, President of CBS Interactive. “TVGuide.com and TV Guide Mobile have the biggest and most-engaged audiences in the valuable TV information category, making them a perfect fit for our portfolio of premium content brands.”
TVGuide.com and TV Guide Mobile have grown considerably since the creation of TV Guide Digital in 2006:
* TVGuide.com now attracts more than 16.5 million monthly unique visitors, with six consecutive years of double-digit growth.
* TV Guide Mobile apps have been downloaded more than 9 million times and attract more than 2.5 million average monthly visitors (up 100 percent since September) who engage with the brand on average nearly 20 days a month – significantly more than other leading entertainment brands.
* In addition, more than 50 percent of visitors to the site and nearly 60 percent of people who use the apps are under the age of 35.
* TV Guide Digital offers the industry’s most-comprehensive television listings as well as innovative products like “Watchlist,” a popular personalized entertainment discovery feature that helps fans find new shows.
TV Guide Digital’s properties are the latest addition to CBS Interactive’s portfolio of more than 25 premium brands, including CBS.com, CBSSports.com, CNET, GameSpot, TV.com, Last.fm and more. CBS Interactive, a perennial top 10 Internet property, delivers advertisers unmatched scale to reach audiences across key verticals like entertainment, news, sports, technology, gaming, music and more.
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