Dabl, an ad-supported, multi-platform lifestyle network launched last September by CBS Television Distribution, is now cleared in 90% of the U.S., the company said Tuesday.
In delivering the status report on the fledgling operation on Day 1 of NATPE, CTD also said Dabl (as in “dabble”) has acquired more than 400 hours of programming from ITV Studios and all3media. The block includes some titles featuring British chef Gordon Ramsay.
While Dabl is a multicast network airing on the digital spectrum of television stations (including the CBS portfolio), it also recently added cable distribution with Altice USA. The multicast space in general has surged in value in recent years, growing from a fringe realm that was created by the transition to HD TV a generation ago into a more robust business throwing off hundreds of millions in revenue.
“We are thrilled with the growth we have seen in Dabl in just four months,” said Steve LoCascio, Chief Operating Officer of CBS Television Distribution. “It’s been a value add to our station partners, giving them quality content for their digital channels, and been embraced by the advertising community as a way to reach viewers interested in lifestyle content.”
Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA (from ITV) and The F Word (all3media) will start airing on Dabl later this year. Other key titles that are part of the acquisition include interior design show 60 Minute Makeover, parenting advice staple Nanny 911 and garden transformation show The Instant Gardner.
These shows will join Dabl’s lineup of what the network describes as “informative, project-based, feel-good content for viewers to indulge their passions for cooking, home renovation, design, DIY, pets and travel.” Among the notable names represented in the lineup are Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Bob Vila and Jamie Oliver.