CBS President Leslie Moonves says he is open and willing to talk to Aereo about its latest effort to get a copyright license to carry TV content, but says: I dont think their business model makes sense unless they were getting content illegally and for free.
The Supreme Court ruled that Aereo was providing a public performance, not simply remote access to antennas and DVRs, and was illegally distributing TV station content without paying a copyright license. Aereo is now applying for that license, arguing that it is like a cable system - the court said it was very similar - and entitled to a blanket copyright license, after initially arguing it was not.
Moonves was being interviewed at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech Summit in Aspen Tuesday.
He said Aereo had made a very good case to the Supreme Court, but that Aereos legal strategy was to make it appear that CBS was trying to stop innovation and technology or preventing its content from going online or into the cloud. Nothing could be further from the truth, he said.
Moonves said he thought CBS had been one of the most progressive companies in looking where its business was going. Moonves said CBS was not against working with Aereo and that there were certain things that Aereo had that may be able to be used in the future.
Moonves said he would have been willing to negotiate payment from Aereo at the outset, but the company never asked.
Moonves was asked why CBS didnt just do something similar on its own. Moonves said that CBS would have done so if Aereo had won. But he also pointed out that CBS is no longer primarily a broadcast service. The reason this didnt make sense is that, right now, almost 90% of the people watching CBS are watching from satellite, cable or telco, so in essence we are not so much an over-the-air broadcast. You can still get it, but a very low percentage of our viewers get their content that way.
But, he reiterated. If Aereo wants to do it legally and approach us about having this content, we are more than willing to talk to them.
A few other highlights of Moonves' discussion:
On all the new ways of making money on content:
Moonves said the amount of revenue they take in from on-air broadcasting advertising has dropped in recent years from 70% to 50%. There are now so many different ways to sell our content, he said, specifically mentioning SVOD services like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu Plus.
He also added that the expansion of international business has been a boon to content providers with content being bought in new territories - CBS is expanding to Latin America, the Middle East and the Far East.
The upfront part used to be far more important than the backend, he said. That is shifting.
Summer programming
CBS has made a major push the past two summers with airing scripted programming during the June-August months, a period that broadcast nets had seemed to concede to cable for years.
The cable networks were cleaning our clocks in the summer, Moonves admitted. The networks basically put out a sign that said on June 1, we're closed until Labor Day.'
Moonves said that the SVOD deal with Amazon for Under the Dome and Extant - which put episodes on the service four days after its airing on TV - have made it possible to invest in high-quality scripted fare for the summer months, when TV viewing drops. He added that international syndication deals help as well.
It's almost like the rating on CBS is secondary, he said. The shows are successful before they even get to the air.
On Bidding for Univision or NBA media rights:
Last month the Wall Street Journal reported that Univision Communications had discussed selling itself to media companies, naming CBS as a potential buyer. Moonves said that was not likely.
We're not interested in buying anything right now, he said. We're very happy with the hand we're playing right now.
With regards to NBA media rights, which expire following the 2015-16 season, Mooves said that CBS is likely to sit this one out. The league is in an exclusive negitationing period with its current rights holders ESPN/ABC and Turner; the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the league is looking to double its current take.
We have four major franchises at the network that we have licenses for the next decade, said Moonves, who mentioned that CBS has just started a new rights deal with the NFL that will see it pay out over a billion dollars per year.
I'm almost positive you will not see us bidding for Major League Baseball or the NBA as they come up. MLB just started a new eight-year rights deal this season.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
CBS President Leslie Moonves says he is open and willing to talk to Aereo about its latest effort to get a copyright license to carry TV content, but says: I dont think their business model makes sense unless they were getting content illegally and for free. 
