Lots is altering at ViacomCBS — which modified its title at this time to Paramount Global. In an investor presentation on Tuesday, the corporate introduced that its streaming service, Paramount+ (previously often known as CBS All Access), hit 32.8 million subscribers over the last quarter of 2021. It’s a notable milestone for the platform, inserting it forward of Peacock (9 million paid subscribers), in addition to different smaller platforms like ESPN+ (17 million subscribers) and Discovery+ (20 million subscribers).
That progress appears to be main the corporate to consolidate a few of its streaming choices, particularly the now 12-year-old Showtime Anywhere service. Existing Paramount+ subscribers will quickly have the ability to watch Showtime on the app itself, albeit for an additional payment. Instead of paying for Showtime’s standalone streaming app (which is $10.99 a month), customers can bundle Paramount and Showtime collectively, for both $12 a month, or $15 a month for the ad-free tier. “Within Paramount+, it will be seamless to sign up for Showtime, and easier than ever to discover great shows. You’ll be able to simply upgrade your Paramount+ subscription to a bundle that includes the Showtime service and then view all that content in a single user experience,” Tom Ryan, head of streaming at Paramount, stated at this time.
While it’s unclear how badly the world wanted one other method to subscribe to Showtime (you possibly can presently buy entry as an add-on service by way of Apple TV+, Hulu, Prime Video, SlingTV and just about each different OTT platform), it’s not a nasty deal for current Paramount subscribers. A spokesperson for Paramount instructed Engadget there are presently no plans to sundown Showtime Anywhere.
Another lure for Paramount+ subscribers is that the app will quickly be the unique house for all Paramount films, starting in 2024. It’s not a shocking transfer, given that each one the streaming platforms are gobbling up unique content material with the intention to achieve an edge. Netflix’s progress price is slowing, which can be a constructive signal for the competitors. But there’s no positive components for fulfillment in streaming. Streaming subscribers are notoriously fickle, and having successful present or two is just not a assured path to returning clients. The new exclusivity deal and bundle with Showtime a minimum of ensures that Paramount+ could have a gentle stream of latest content material to maintain current viewers comfortable.