After months of build-up, ViacomCBS will reverse the switch for Paramount Plus next week – its large streaming platform designed to throw larger elbows into an increasingly crowded market.
For now, the price will not change. But this summer, the media conglomerate will lower the entry price for Paramount Plus, the new name of the renamed CBS All Access.
The basic ad-supported level of Paramount Plus, which launches in June, costs $ 4.99 per month – a dollar less than the current entry-level CBS All Access package of ads. The full Paramount Plus premium level without ads (except in live programming) is the same, at $ 9.99 per month.
However, there is one important caveat: the $ 5 monthly plan for Paramount Plus, while it includes live sports including NFL games, excludes local CBS stations. In June, the previous plan would be discontinued for $ 5.99 a month, but ViacomCBS said existing subscribers would not be affected (unless they cancel and re-enroll after the new Paramount Plus plan was introduced).
The $ 4.99 Paramount Plus level will have ‘much more content than CBS All Access had’, and that’s the price to maximize consumer appeal and advertising revenue, said Tom Ryan, CEO of ViacomCBS Streaming , told analysts. By eliminating CBS residents from the package, ViacomCBS has more flexibility in the structure of distribution trading, he added.
In addition, the company plans to bundle Paramount Plus with other streaming packages; subscribers will be able to purchase a Showtime add-on with Paramount Plus, for example.
Here are other details that ViacomCBS announced during the investor day presentation for the service:
What is Paramount Plus?
This is the new name for CBS All Access, ViacomCBS ‘existing subscriber video service, which will be renamed Paramount Plus in the US on March 4, 2021. The new version features a dramatically increased buffet with live sports, news and content on demand. – and a string of new originals that will arrive in the coming months.
What is available to watch?
Paramount Plus starts with a library of 30,000 plus TV episodes and more than 2,500 movies, and in the first year there are 36 original series. More than 1000 live sporting events are also held annually. The content comes from CBS (including CBS News and CBS Sports) and the cable network brands Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central and Smithsonian Channel, with movies from Paramount Pictures, MGM and other studios.
What new programming is coming to Paramount Plus?
ViacomCBS executives tried to hammer the “mountain of entertainment” mantra through the entire presentation. Some of the new content that appears after the service:
- TV dramas and comedies: Taylor Sheridan projects ‘6666’ (a ‘Yellowstone’ spin-off) and ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ starring Jeremy Renner; a “Criminal Minds” reload; ‘Halo’, based on the Xbox game franchise, coming from Showtime in early 2022; a new series by Kenya Barris; series adaptations of films “The Italian Job”, “Love Story”, “Fatal Attraction”, “Parallax View” and “Flashdance”; new seasons of “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks”; the seventh and final season of Darren Star’s “Younger” starring Sutton Foster and Hilary Duff; a “Frazier” revival with Kelsey Grammer; the return of “Inside Amy Schumer”; spinoffs of “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” and “Reno: 911!”; and movies based on “Workaholics” and “Beavis & Butt-head.”
- Child programming: A new “Rugrats” CG animated series; new series set in the world of ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ and ‘The Legend of Korra’ by Nickelodeon’s new Avatar Studios; animated series “Star Trek: Prodigy”; recharge an “iCarly”; and live-action versions of “Dora the Explorer” and “The Fairly OddParents.”
- Reality and music: “Queen of the Universe”, an international drag queen singing competition from producers of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”; revivals of MTV’s ‘Behind the Music’, ” Yo! MTV Raps ”and“ Unplugged ”; and, as previously announced, a reunion of “The Real World” original cast in New York.
- Movies: Paramount Pictures will put many new versions on the service within the last 45 days after the theater series, including the upcoming ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, ‘A Quiet Place 2’ and ‘Mission: Impossible 7’. Original films from the studio for Paramount Plus feature a new “Paranormal Activity” and a “Pet Sematary” prediction.
Will Paramount Plus be available outside the US?
ViacomCBS says that Paramount Plus will also be launched in 18 Latin American countries on March 4. The Canadian version of CBS All Access will also be renamed on that date, but the expanded content will only be available later in the Great White North. in the year. Paramount Plus is scheduled to debut on March 25 in the North and mid-2021 in Australia. For most international subscribers, Showtime is home to Paramount Plus.
How do you sign up for Paramount Plus?
The service provides direct sign-ups through its website (paramountplus.com) as well as through third-party platform partners, including Apple, Amazon and Google. Both subscription options will include parental control features and up to six individual profiles.
On which devices can you view Paramount Plus?
With the launch, Paramount Plus is available for iOS and Android mobile devices; on Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV players; and on the web. ViacomCBS says Paramount Plus will be available on smart TV platforms and consoles, but it has not specified any partners.
What about Showtime and BET Plus?
It will continue as separate, distinct premium streaming services alongside their linear TV stores. Showtime, for example, announced a “Ray Donovan” movie on Wednesday, based on the series starring Liev Schreiber, who ended his seven-season series last year. In addition, ViacomCBS’s Pluto TV will remain a free streaming service, with 43 million worldwide active monthly users in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Are there any special discounts for Paramount Plus?
Prior to the official launch on March 4, ViacomCBS is offering subscribers who sign up for a 50-year discount on a CBS All Access annual plan for the first 12 months. The annual price of the service is $ 59.99 / year with ads and $ 99.99 / year without ads.
What about streaming CBS programs?
To watch CBS shows for free from March 4, users will need to download a new CBS app. Subscribers with participating pay-TV partners can use their referrers to sign in to the CBS app to access their live local station.