A notice on the CBS Web site says that live, unedited video from the show, which debuts in its second season Thursday night, will be available online free throughout the weekend. "After that, you can purchase a subscription for the entire series so you can watch the competitions and drama," according to the posting.
Despite the notice, a CBS representative would not confirm the new subscription service, saying that the details were still being worked out.
"We are anticipating working with RealNetworks on the Web component of 'Big Brother,' and whether or not the subscription model is part of that agreement is currently being worked out," said Dana McClintock, vice president of communications for CBS. If adopted, the subscription service would be CBS's first foray into charging for broadcast programming online.
Streaming media company RealNetworks could not be immediately reached for comment.
Toying with such for-fee services is becoming de rigueur for major media companies, which have wrestled with applying fees to a medium that has largely remained free. Such companies have long expected to support online publishing efforts through advertising. But as the ad market turned bitter in the last year, online publishers and broadcasters seeking to attract online viewers increasingly embraced subscriptions as a way to boost earnings. The New York Times, Yahoo, Variety and Inside.com are among those that have started to impose fees for content.
"Every major media company is looking at ways to levy subscriptions on the Internet for programming or content, and that includes newspaper companies and broadcasting companies," said Mark Mooradian, senior analyst at Jupiter Media Metrix.
Broadcasters streaming live video may also be attracted to the subscription model because of the high costs associated with buying bandwidth, which is needed for transmitting video, Mooradian said.
Major League Baseball, for example, partnered with RealNetworks earlier this year to sell season passes for live baseball games over the Net.
For Viacom-owned CBS, selling passes to a behind-the-scenes video of "Big Brother" could hinge on the success of the "reality" style show. The series charts the daily struggles of 12 strangers living together as they compete for US$500,000 by avoiding getting kicked out of a heavily bugged house.
A CBS spokeswoman said a subscription service would serve as a means to safeguard against children viewing mature content that could be seen through all-hours video of the show.
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