Cheddar to air on Fusion’s cable TV channel

Cheddar has signed a deal with Fusion to air two hours of daily weekday programming on Fusion’s cable television channel starting later this month, reports Alex Kantrowitz of BuzzFeed.

Kantrowitz writes, “The move is intriguing since Cheddar’s mission, until this point, has been to cater to people without cable boxes. The network has streamed free on Facebook, Twitter, Cheddar.com, and other streaming services. And last year it added a paid option for extra hours of programming. This new push into traditional television may be viewed by critics as an admission that the current slew of digital platforms aren’t big enough to support Cheddar’s $83 million valuation.

“But Cheddar CEO Jon Steinberg (a former BuzzFeed Executive) told BuzzFeed News he was willing to break with his digital orthodoxy for an opportunity that could increase the reach and awareness of his network, especially since Fusion won’t require exclusive content. ‘I’m the king of strong opinions loosely held,’ Steinberg said. ‘It’s a great network. It caters to a young audience. It’s on all these systems. They were excited to work with me. I’m excited to work with them. Why not?’

“Cheddar, which programs live financial news geared to millennials, will air from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. eastern on Fusion, giving it an entryway into the 60 million homes Fusion reaches with its channel, and a number of digital authenticated services like DirecTV Now and Sling.”

Read more here.