Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. News

CBS All Access comes to Roku, including live broadcasts in 14 markets

Christine Persaud
By

cbs all access roku building
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The CBS All Access standalone subscription streaming service is now officially available through Roku players, allowing users to watch 6,500 TV episodes on-demand, new episodes via the CBS app the day after they air on network television, and, in 14 markets, live streaming TV.

Try one week on CBS All Access for free

Recommended Videos

The 14 markets that will be able to watch CBS live from streaming devices or computers include Baltimore, MD (WJZ), Boston, MA (Manchester, NH) (WBZ), Chicago, IL (WBBM), Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX (KTVT), Denver, CO (KCNC), Detroit, MI (WWJ), Los Angeles, CA (KCBS), Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL (WFOR), Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (WCCO), New York, NY (WCBS), Philadelphia, PA (KYW), Pittsburgh, PA (KDKA), Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA (KOVR) and San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA (KPIX). The streams will include live local news and sporting events – two types of content that have kept some cord keepers from becoming cord cutters.

Related

However, it’s not all gravy in sports land. CBS says the live broadcasts will include only “some” sporting events, but the network has confirmed live streaming of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. However, this week’s presentation of The Masters will not be available. We reached out to CBS for info on the popular major tournament, and got this response:

Unfortunately, due to contractual agreements, The Masters (Augusta National Golf Club) will not be made available as video on demand post broadcast nor on the Live TV feature for CBS All Access.

Related: HBO Now is live on Apple devices

As for the 6,500 episodes available on demand, choices include 15 current primetime hits plus past seasons of shows like The Good Wife, Blue Bloods, and CSI: Miami. The service will also offer classic content from the CBS vault, from MacGyver to Star Trek, and ‘90s kids will love being able to revisit Beverly Hills 90210 (yes, the original series), and those from the ‘70s will enjoy sitcoms like The Brady Bunch. Users will also be able to tap into reality TV shows like Big Brother and The Amazing Race, and timely (pun intended) news programs like 48 Hours and 60 Minutes.

While CBS All Access makes it possible to view content on a mobile device, the addition of the Roku player for easy viewing on the big screen makes the service a lot more enticing. All Access available to try for free for one week, after which it’s a pretty affordable at $6/mo. While many users can pull up CBS for free from an HD antenna, those unable to get a signal may want to consider the streaming alternative — especially considering all that VOD content.

CBS is just one of many networks now adding pay-per-month standalone subscriptions that don’t require an all-in subscription to a traditional linear TV service. It’s a strategy that is sure to continue as consumers opt for a la carte versus all-you-can-eat.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Christine Persaud
Christine Persaud
Contributor
Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…
What is CBS All Access? What you need to know about the streaming service
what is cbs all access

CBS All Access is another name to add to the ever-growing list of on-demand streaming services that are vying for your hard-earned cash. But unlike Hulu and Netflix, CBS doesn't offer many licensed shows. Instead, it's first and foremost a hub for its network material, including hit shows like NCIS and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Here's everything you need to know about the platform, including how much it costs and what content is available.
What is CBS All Access?
Like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and others, CBS All Access is an on-demand streaming service that lets you watch its programming whenever you want for a flat monthly fee. However, All Access isn't home to countless licensed shows -- it stakes its claim with CBS series, including current flagship titles like CSI: Miami and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as well as a wide array of titles from CBS' loaded library of older shows.

All Access is also home to CBS local stations, CBSN, CBS Sports HQ, and ET Live 24/7. This means you can tap into live programming at any moment, on any supported device, from anywhere in the United States. Although, we should note that you'll still have to suffer through the various advertisements — even if you have a commercial-free subscription to All Access. In this regard, the experience is no different from viewing on a television.
How much is CBS All Access?
CBS All Access comes in two flavors: Limited Commercials and Commercial Free -- priced at $6 and $10 per month, respectively. The former delivers the most basic experience, which feels a lot like watching a cable channel, in part due to the tremendous amount of commercials that surface mid-show (and how repetitive they are). Commercial Free delivers an ad-free user experience that also supports offline listening on mobile devices.
Which devices support CBS All Access?
There's no shortage of devices that stream CBS All Access, ranging from Android and iOS to Apple TV and Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku OS, PlayStation, and Xbox. Plus, CBS recently started bundling the app on select smart TVs, so if you own a brand new Samsung or Vizio 4K TV, you should be able to fire up CBS All Access right away. Just note that in some instances you may have to install the application manually.
What shows are on CBS All Access?
We'd be here all day if we listed all the different shows on CBS All Access. Instead, we'll run through some of the hottest shows you're bound to be interested in. Bull? It's on there. Criminal Minds? It's on there. Other major shows include Hawaii Five-O, NCIS, and Young Sheldon. There are also a wide variety of back catalog shows from CBS' library, including MASH, the original Twilight Zone, multiple Star Trek iterations, and many others. 

Read more
Streaming services are the ‘Wild West’ for political ads, report finds
Child sitting watching TV in a dark room

Many political ads that appear on your streaming services aren't being fact-checked and could help spread misinformation without being taken down, a new report from the Mozilla Foundation has found.

Researchers at Mozilla found that six major streaming services — YouTube TV, Hulu, Tubi, Sling, Roku, and CBS All Access — are, by and large, incredibly unclear about what political ads they allow and how they may or may not vet them.

Read more
Apple TV+ bundle offers CBS All Access, Showtime for $10 per month
apple tv cbs all access showtime star trek picard

Apple TV+ subscribers will now be able to access a discounted bundle of CBS All Access and Showtime for only $10 per month.

Apple launched the bundle with a seven-day free trial, allowing subscribers to watch content from Apple TV+, CBS All Access, and Showtime online and offline, without advertisements and on demand.

Read more