Yahoo! has arranged with CBS to stream content from 60 Minutes through its own sites and through sites co-branded sites with other service providers, including AT&T.
The appeal of the deal for each of the partners was the potential for profiting from the other’s demographic strengths. Though 60 Minutes continues to be one of the most widely-viewed programs on network TV, its audience skews older. Meanwhile, the most dedicated Internet users tend to be younger. Yahoo! stands to gain older viewers drawn by the show, and CBS has the opportunity to increase the popularity of one of its key franchises with a new, younger audience.
Content will be available this fall when 60 Minutes begins its 39th season. A special preview, a rare interview with Tiger Woods, will be available on Yahoo! starting Sunday, March 26. Yahoo! will create a microsite for the show, and will have links to that microsite on its News, Sports and Entertainment pages.
Each week following the Sunday night broadcast of the news magazine, the microsite will be updated with two news packages. One will expand on a segment featured during the TV broadcast of 60 Minutes. The second will be based on a topical news theme for that particular week. Both will include unaired video footage plus interactive elements such as maps, a reporter’s notebook, blogs and photo galleries.