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CBS Interactive
CBS Interactive was the digital division that launched CBS All Access and acquired CNET for $1.8 billion before being absorbed into Paramount Global.
CBS Interactive
CBS Interactive was formed in 2006 as the digital media division of CBS Corporation, led internally by executives under CEO Leslie Moonves. The unit inherited CBS's legacy internet assets — CBS.com, CBSNews.com, and SportsLine — and was given its own M&A mandate to buy digital-native brands that would give the broadcaster a beachhead in online publishing and streaming. It was never a family office or third-party manager; it deployed CBS's corporate balance sheet into whole-company acquisitions and internal platform builds. The division ran a concentrated portfolio spanning digital publishing, streaming infrastructure, and ad-tech. Its largest acquisition came in 2008 with the $1.8 billion purchase of CNET Networks, which brought properties including CNET, GameSpot, ZDNet, and Metacritic under CBS control. Subsequent deals added TVGuide Digital and Giant Bomb, while organic buildouts produced CBS All Access in 2014 — one of the earliest broadcast network streaming services, predating Disney+ by five years. The geographic footprint was mostly North America, though CNET and GameSpot carried global audiences. At peak, CBS Interactive employed thousands across San Francisco, New York, and satellite offices, contributing roughly $2.7 billion in revenue to CBS's 2018 full-year results. The division was absorbed into ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global) during the 2019 recombination and rebranded as part of ViacomCBS Digital, effectively dissolving the standalone Interactive identity. Most of its former assets — CNET, GameSpot, Paramount+ — now sit inside Paramount's direct-to-consumer reporting segment. CBS Interactive's structural distinction was its standalone M&A and operating authority inside a public broadcaster — it acquired technology companies and built subscription products without needing CBS's broadcast ad-sales machine to approve every deal. This hybrid autonomy made it a rare corporate entity: a tech acquirer wearing a broadcaster's badge, funding digital-native brands with linear-TV cash flow until the parent company's 2019 merger folded the digital arm back into the broader enterprise.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2006
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Francisco
Corporate office
San Francisco, CA, United States
Additional offices
New York, NY, United States
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How did CBS Interactive source its largest deals?
The division was a corporate strategic buyer — it sourced whole-company acquisitions using CBS's public-company balance sheet, targeting digital media properties that could cross-promote with CBS's broadcast programming. The 2008 CNET Networks deal was a classic example: a publicly announced, cash tender offer for an independent digital publishing company, structured as a standard M&A transaction rather than a venture investment.
Did CBS Interactive take minority positions or only whole-company acquisitions?
CBS Interactive predominantly pursued whole-company acquisitions, buying CNET Networks, TVGuide Digital, and Giant Bomb outright. It also made internal buildouts like CBS All Access. The division was not a venture investor; it acquired to own and integrate.
What happened to CBS Interactive after the Viacom merger?
In December 2019, Viacom and CBS recombined into ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global). CBS Interactive was dissolved as a separate entity and folded into the new ViacomCBS Digital organization. CNET, GameSpot, and the streaming platform now live under Paramount's direct-to-consumer reporting, while the corporate structure that gave Interactive independent M&A authority was eliminated.
Why was CBS All Access significant at launch?
CBS All Access launched in 2014 as one of the earliest direct-to-consumer streaming services from a major US broadcaster, predating HBO Now and Disney+. It carried both live CBS programming and an on-demand library, later expanding into original content like 'Star Trek: Discovery' before eventually rebranding as Paramount+.
What was the investment thesis behind the CNET acquisition?
The $1.8 billion acquisition of CNET Networks in 2008 gave CBS Interactive a portfolio of ranked, ad-supported digital publishing properties with strong tech and gaming audiences — the opposite of CBS's older broadcast demographic. It also provided CBS with an instant technology review and e-commerce affiliate business that operated entirely outside the broadcast ad model.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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