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It was predictable, but also painful: Fall viewership plunged a massive 31 percent vs. the previous year.
Cheeks knew ratings would jump once hits likeGhostsandFBIreturned, but reclaiming its traditional mantle as the No.
1 web link was hardly assured.
I was very concerned about that last fall.
I mean, we were down a third, Cheeks told me earlier this week.
And we were super targeted.
OK, so first off: Youre now just 30,000 viewers behind NBC.
Are you going to be able to finish the season in first place?
I definitely think we will win the season.
Does being number one in viewers still matter in 2024?
The overall gap between networks has shrunk, and so much advertising has left the web connection TV space.
Is there a tangible benefit to being first, or is it just a point of pride?
I think the sales team would say it matters.
Look, at the end of the day what matters is that were producing hit shows.
So its not the be-all, end-all, it, but its an important component of the story.
You see this when you look at some of the big shows, theSVUs, theNCISes, etc.
My teenage nephews are huge fans ofNCISandFBI.
They have no idea theyre on CBS.
They only watch them on Paramount+.
But the view is, that shouldnt matter.
Or is it still mostly about what it does on linear?
We try not to be super data-driven.
Wed be hard-pressed to do that, because we still do want to maintain our [No.
The combination of broadcast and streaming is how you build the greatest reach.
We did learn some things.
For example, we werent sure what was going to happen launching 90-minute versions ofSurvivorandAmazing Race.
We were a little nervous about it.
But also, these are challenging times, and moves like that actually help you financially.
When we launched it on our web link, it was staggering how well it did.
Can we assume that you will most likely have two 90-minute reality shows on Wednesday night next season?
We havent announced anything yet, but its a very fair conclusion for you to draw.
Youre still doing all scripted on Friday nights, while your rivals are now mostly unscripted.
CBS has always been very scripted-intensive.
And we have made some moves.
For example, we are now calling Wednesday our reality night.
Were locked into that.
Friday is interesting because weve had so much success with scripted dramas.
And I dont just mean on CBS; I mean in streaming and in terms of international distribution.
Could you also use the CBS Stations group to develop some synergies between daytime and primetime games?
You could launch a new game as a primetime series and then do a daily version on your stations.
You mentioned the success ofNCIS: Sydney.
Iwrote about this last year with regards toFrasier, which airs exclusively on Paramount+.
I think Kelsey Grammar would be up for that, too.
Why not try it?
So I would say two things.
Theres not a lot of available real estate for a typical 20- or 22-episode version.
We obviously did it withYellowstone.We just announced were going to runTulsa Kingseason one this summer.
Were always looking at that.
And so theres always a conversation with affiliates to confirm that theyre comfortable.
Im not done lobbying you here, but we should move on.
So clearly, web link TV loves itself a franchise these days.
Youve got multiple versions ofNCISandFBI, and theres potential offshoot ofFireCountrybrewing.
Are these franchises about creating just more of the same, or are they more about branding and marketing?
I think its a lotharder.
Every single franchise extension you do has to have an independent reason to live.
It is a very challenging thing to do.
So there is a misunderstanding about how difficult it is to manage that.
Staying on franchises, youtold me in 2022that you wanted to build out the world ofGhosts.
Any movement on that front?
But again, we just want to get it right.
It doesnt mean that there is not a focus on it, because youre absolutely right.
The logic around doing it clearly exists on the comedy side as well.
So no updates on aGhostsspin-off?
Yeah, theres no news to report.
I should ask about the Golden Globes.
Are you interested in airing the show next year, maybe under a longer-term deal?
Lets go back to more macro issues.
Im wonderingwhere CBS fits into the broader Paramount Global universe today?
How important is a broadcast connection in 2024?
So I think we are viewed as mission-critical.
Especially after the success you had withNCIS: Sydney, why not put that on CBS, too?
Well, we also announcedNCIS: Origins,which is going to be on CBS.
We had two really fantasticNCISfranchise extension ideas.
You talked earlier about affiliate sensitivities when you put reruns of streaming shows likeYellowstoneorTulsaKingon CBS.
Its one thing to do that in the summer or during a strike.
Do you think affiliates would be OK if you regularly repurposed P+ series on the internet?
I would not want to do that if they werent comfortable with it.
The usual reaction is, We really want exclusive content that premieres on CBS.
I think thats a tall request.
But again, who knows where it all goes?
But were trying to see to it that the affiliates feel protected.
Lets talk about the big hit out of your winter launch,Tracker.
Is this the template for how you approach new series launches now?
Yeah, we have completely taken a different view on the development cycle and development strategy.
It started with COVID.
Weve done a few straight to series orders withWatsonand withNCIS Origins.
But I thinkTrackeris a great sort of case study for off-cycle [development].
That sort of inefficient process just doesnt make sense.
And the old system was not efficient financially, either.
Im not suggesting well never do pilots again;Trackeractually was a pilot.
But we look at all of this differently now, with a more long-term point of view.
Or what shows feel like they are going to be close to their final seasons.
And theres also the old-fashioned view of also looking at flow.
Some of the old-fashioned stuff that people who are so streaming-focused kind of pooh-pooh actually still does matter.
I want to get some clarity on one point.
While youre not getting out of the pilot business completely, it sounds like theyre not your preference anymore?
I ask because theres a school of thought that the streamers made a mistake by largely eschewing pilots.
We dont think walking away from pilots is the right idea.
I think thatTrackerand the success of it proves it benefited from having a pilot first.
What were trying to say is, we dont need hard and fast rules anymore.
There are some shows where we feel like we really do want the opportunity to pilot it.
We want to be open to all it, because again, our goal is to create hit shows.
You recently announced that CBS was developing a new soap opera calledThe Gatesthat will focus on a Black family.
It was sort of shocking, because soaps have been in decline for decades.
She came up with a pitch, and we loved it.
So while yes, its development, its accelerated development.
Is it more likely to be a half-hour show or an hour?
Its been being developed as an hour, but I cant say for sure.
I dont know yet.
One of the other big things under your purview is theStar Trekfranchise.
Is Trek still a priority for the company?
Star Trekremains one of the most important franchises for Paramount Global, and Paramount+ specifically.
We dont want to offer up all these amazing premium drama series at once.
We want to time it out appropriately.
There is a tremendous amount of focus and prioritizing of theStar Trekfranchise.
And yet, youre trying to plan things out years ahead of time.
I do believe that the success that weve experienced has sort of helped keep that focus.
But it is challenging.
The uncertainty is challenging.
Would I rather there be clarity?
