CBS All Access is no more and in its place, Paramount + has emerged, the latest service wrapped up in the streaming battle as a paid subscriber offering. But Paramount + is also coming at a difficult time for smaller services, competing – whether they admit it or not – against much larger giants like Disney + and Netflix. Where does Paramount + fit in, and is it worth it?
This probably depends on the perception of the individual viewer, which in many ways is the same demand for all paid content services. But especially with regard to Paramount +, it enters a space that is already chock full of services that satisfy almost every niche interest. It was also decided to launch a free ad-supported level, which could help attract insecure subscribers and which NBCUniversal executives have chosen to include in competitive service. Peacock at launch. For Existing CBS All Access Customers – Perhaps Pleasing Fans of CBS Broadcast Programming or Its Massive Series Star Trek Content– the value in Paramount + may contain more content for the same price. For everyone else, however, I wonder if the fanfare will be enough to pull them to a new service and possibly pull them away from those they already enjoy.
Let’s first clarify what Paramount + actually is. This new streaming service is basically CBS All Access, in addition to more stuff from ViacomCBS. After a free 30-day trial, it costs $ 10 a month for a premium level that removes ads from titles on demand but not from the linear import, plus additional live sports and live news coverage from CBS. In June, Paramount + set a reduced, ad-supported level for $ 5 a month. Confusingly, at launch, prices will remain the same as for CBS All Access with a $ 6 plan that includes limited advertising. The option will no longer be available when the new level launches in June; however, existing CBS All Access subscribers who are grandparents may remain on the plan if they so choose.
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On Paramount + you will find content centers from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and the Smithsonian Channel, although the content of these channels originally appeared on CBS All Access last year. The company has also started expanding it child-focused content late in 2020 with more stuff from Nick Jr. and new features. In other words, CBS All Access built much of the foundation for Paramount + before its launch. What’s new and specific to the service at launch is the original – five inclusive 60 minutes +, For heaven’s name, Battle Coral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, The Real World Homecoming: New York, en The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run– As well as an extensive library with episodes of hit series and movies that include The pilot, Mindhunters, Impossible mission movies, and Gone baby away.
Paramount + certainly feels like a catch for ViacomCBS assets rather than a single, cohesive product with a strong identity. The service describes itself as a “home for premium entertainment for the whole family”, but the collection of channels here – just like the ones that were put together to create HBO max– Feels a little strange. Make no mistake: there is plenty to look at. The service has more than 30,000 programs and dozens of movies to stream during the launch. But it was not clear to me who this product was really trying to serve, only that it contained more stuff than CBS All Access.
The organization of these brands on the service also felt a bit strange, although I found the mobile experience to be easier to navigate than Paramount + on the desktop. All the content buttons appear in a row under a prominent content carousel. At the top of the page you will find tabs for programs, movies, live TV, ‘brands’ and news. Just like on Netflix and other services, you will find categories on the home page for, among other things, programs that are recommended for you, keep watching, trend and original. But scrolling through individual “branded” pages feels like a crapshoot – everything appears only as a single title catalog. At least, on the pages for movies and films, are organized alphabetically.
The service may introduce more subcategories in these brand pages as it customizes the product, but from the launch day it seemed like you need to know better exactly what you are looking for or that you are ready to browse through many titles to find something to look at. Navigation through this service is hampered by the absence of a formal watchlist, which could help users more easily browse through the content by bookmarking interesting titles as they browse.
With the launch, Paramount + is available on desktop, iOS and Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Apple TV channels, Chromecast, Facebook Portal, Fire TV, LG Smart TVs, PlayStation 4, Prime Video Channels, Roku, Samsung TVs, Vizio Smartcast TVs, and Xbox devices. The service is coming soon to PlayStation 5, a spokesman for Gizmodo confirmed. Paramount + offers up to six user profiles, but will be limited to three simultaneous streams. The service advertised that some series and movies were available in 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision, but a spokesman told Gizmodo that the content was limited to the original Paramount + and the content of the Smithsonian Channel.
Presumably, as the service continues to grow, it will bring more to the table for people who have already been indifferent to CBS All Access. Two of this year’s biggest expenses, A Quiet Place, Part II and Mission: Impossible 7, will go to the service a month and a half after leaving the theaters, which could be a potential draw for new subscribers. Paramount + will also be home to every UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League match and will include coverage of this year’s NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship. Thirty-six exclusive original articles will hit the airwaves in 2021 – another potential lure for subscribers when they premiere.
But from launch day, Paramount + feels a bit inconspicuous compared to its peers. This is perhaps less the fault of ViacomCBS, as it is a product of the large number of services we now have to choose from, and Paramount + arrives at the party a little late. Again, I think there is absolute value to this service for longtime fans of CBS programming, especially for those whose children include households. But because he no longer has to bring new and shiny offers to the table, Paramount + may have trouble convincing new subscribers that it can be great.