CBS Acquires Full Ownership of TV Guide Digital

New York, NY, June 4, 2013--CBS Corp. has acquired full control of TV Guide’s online and mobile apps divisions after buying out the 50 percent share held by Lionsgate Entertainment.This latest deal makes CBS the outright owner of Lionsgate’s digital assets, including TVGuide.com and TV Guide Mobile, which provide news and information about TV shows and movies in addition to TV listings.

In March this year CBS and Lionsgate entered into a 50/50 partnership for the highly distributed entertainment cable network TVGN and the website TVGuide.com.  Under the terms of that March deal, CBS was also going to acquire a 50% stake in TVGN and TVGuide.com.

CBS and Lionsgate, however, will continue to share ownership of TV Guide’s cable network, known as TVGN. The basic cable network is available in more than 80 million homes and continues to be entertainment-focused, with a specific rebranding and programming strategy.

The venture combined CBS’s programming, production and marketing assets with Lionsgate’s resources in motion pictures, television and digitally delivered content. 

The venture’s edge include a broadcast network and many of the top first-run syndication series and a studio that distributes the blockbuster “Hunger Games” and “Twilight” franchises and produces such award-winning dramas as “Mad Men.”

TV Guide.com is reportedly attracting 16.5 million visitors each month in the US, and its mobile apps have been downloaded more than 9 million times.