CBS News: Live Breaking News
CBS News: Live Breaking News is a news streaming app for iOS and Android that provides 24/7 national coverage and local broadcasts from 14 U.S. markets.
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users open the app to access live local news and broadcast segments, but the current video-first interface forces a consumption pattern that displaces traditional text-based reading habits.
For U.S.-based news consumers seeking both national coverage and local reporting from CBS-affiliated stations.
Key features
Access to 14 live, local news streams from CBS stations across major U.S. markets.
Anchored 24/7 streaming news service available without a subscription.
Access to full episodes of shows like 60 Minutes, requiring cable provider authentication.
How much does it cost?
Monetization relies on ad-supported streaming and cable-provider authentication to gate premium content.
Velocity
Intense developmentShow more...
5 versions in history. Development pace: intense.
Who built it?
CBS Interactive
8 apps tracked · News
CBS Sports Fantasy
Paramount+
CBS Sports: Live Scores & News
MetroLyrics
SportsLine
CBS Daytime Daymoji Keyboard
CBSUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Fresh user feedback skews upset.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Intrusive full-screen advertisements frequently lock up the interface and prevent users from accessing news content
49 of 49 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Upset overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 2 user requests, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for CBS News: Live Breaking News
How's the News market?
CBS News: Live Breaking News maintains a presence in the News category, though its 3.7-star rating across 41,858 total reviews suggests significant friction compared to top-tier news aggregators. The current ad-load strategy prioritizes short-term inventory over the retention of the daily active user base.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By CNN Interactive Group, Inc.
Both apps compete for the same U.S. news audience by offering live-streaming video and breaking news updates as their primary value proposition.
- CNN includes interactive games to build daily habits; CBS News: Live Breaking News lacks gamified retention loops.
- CNN provides a global correspondent network for real-time reporting; CBS News: Live Breaking News focuses on regional reporting from local affiliates.
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Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for CBS News: Live Breaking News
Where is it heading?
Users report: The network news app market is consolidating around platforms that offer high-frequency, low-friction access to information. CBS News: Live Breaking News is currently exposed due to technical instability and a design that prioritizes ad-inventory over user experience, which will continue to erode its market position until the ad-verification logic is stabilized.
- Frequent interface freezes during ad-loading erode the daily active habit, which compounds the rating drag already visible on both platforms.
- Forced video-first content delivery creates a high-friction experience that ignores traditional reading habits, leading to sustained negative sentiment.
The SWOT
- 14-market local news stream provides a hyper-local content moat
- Implementing a text-first reading mode would capture frustrated readers
Next best moves
Audit ad-verification logic because interface-locking ads are the top complaint → reduce churn
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The app's video-first design is a strategic liability, as it forces a high-bandwidth…
Read the full takeSince the last report: The transition to a freemium monetization model and the emergence of specific, high-friction complaints regarding video-first navigation represent the most significant shifts in the platform's competitive profile.
Bottom line
Auditing the ad-verification system would address the interface-locking failures that currently drive high churn, allowing CBS News: Live Breaking News to retain the audience drawn by its unique local news streams.
Unlock 1 critical friction, 1 market threat, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeSources
- [1] App Store
Report last updated