#ViacomCBS inks distribution deal with Disney’s Hulu

ViacomCBS said Monday that it inked a distribution deal with Disney’s Hulu, to add Showtime and other popular channels to the live-TV streaming service.

Financial terms of the multi-year transaction were not disclosed.

The deal gives viewers of Hulu’s live TV service access to 14 ViacomCBS-owned channels, including CBS, Showtime, MTV, Comedy Central and kid-friendly channel Nickelodeon. It also gives Viacom/CBS broader reach in the streaming and live TV world.

Prior to Monday’s deal, CBS had a distribution agreement with Hulu that put its broadcast network on Hulu+ Live TV, along with channels including Pop TV, the CW and the Smithsonian Channel.

Monday’s agreement with Hulu is the latest in a series of expanded deals ViacomCBS has inked with distributors since its merger in 2019, including Alphabet’s YouTube TV, Dish Network., Comcast and Verizon.

Although, ViacomCBS already has its own streaming services such as Showtime Anytime, CBS All Access, which will be rebranded as Paramount+ this year, and free live-TV service PlutoTV, the deal gives the company a stronger footing in the highly competitive streaming landscape, which is dominated by the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.