After months of construction, ViacomCBS next week is ready to switch to Paramount Plus – its expanded streaming platform designed to launch bigger elbows in an increasingly crowded market.
For now, the price will not change. But this summer, the media conglomerate will lower the base price for Paramount Plus, the new name for the new name for CBS All Access.
The entry-level, supported by Paramount Plus ads, launching in June, will cost $ 4.99 a month – one dollar less than the current CBS All Access base package with commercials. The full premium level of Paramount Plus, with no ads (except live programming) will be the same for $ 9.99 per month.
However, there is an important caveat: the $ 5 monthly plan for Paramount Plus, while including live sports, including NFL games, will exclude local CBS stations. In June, the previous $ 5.99 / month plan will be discontinued, but ViacomCBS said that existing subscribers will not be affected (unless they cancel and re-subscribe after the introduction of the new Paramount Plus plan).
The $ 4.99 Paramount Plus level will have “a lot more content than CBS All Access had,” and its price is to maximize consumer appeal and ad revenue, said Tom Ryan, CEO of ViacomCBS Streaming, to analysts. By eliminating CBS locations from this package, ViacomCBS has more flexibility in how to structure distribution agreements, he added.
In addition, the company plans to package Paramount Plus with other streaming packages; for example, subscribers will have a way to purchase a Showtime add-on with Paramount Plus.
Here are other details that ViacomCBS announced for the service in its investor day presentation:
What is Paramount Plus?
It is the new name for CBS All Access, ViacomCBS ‘existing subscription video service, which will be renamed Paramount Plus on March 4, 2021, in the United States. The new version includes a dramatically larger buffet of live sports and news on demand content – and a queue of new originals ready to arrive in the coming months.
What is available to watch?
Paramount Plus is released with a library of more than 30,000 TV episodes and more than 2,500 films, and the first year is scheduled to debut 36 original series. It will also feature more than 1,000 live sporting events annually. The content comes from CBS (including CBS News and CBS Sports) and cable brands Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central and Smithsonian Channel, with films 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 during the presentation. Some of the new content that comes to the service:
- TV dramas and comedies: Taylor Sheridan designs “6666” (a spin-off of “Yellowstone”) and “Mayor of Kingstown”, starring Jeremy Renner; a restart of “Criminal Minds”; “Halo”, based on the Xbox game franchise, which is changing from Showtime to arrive in early 2022; a new series from Kenya Baris; adaptations of film series “The Italian Job”, “Love Story”, “Fatal Attraction,” “Parallax View,” and “Flashdance”; the seventh and final season of “Younger” by Darren Star, starring Sutton Foster and Hilary Duff; a “Frazier” revival with Kelsey Grammer; the return of “Inside Amy Schumer”; spinoffs for “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” and “Reno: 911!”; and films based on “Workaholics” and “Beavis & Butt-head”.
- Children’s programming: The children’s animation series “Star Trek: Prodigy”, along with new seasons of “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks”; a new animated series in CG “Rugrats”; new series set in the world of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Legend of Korra” from Nickelodeon’s new Avatar Studios; an “iCarly” reset; 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 the producers of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”; revivals of MTV’s ‘Behind the Music’, “Yo! MTV Raps, ”“ Unplugged ”; and as previously announced, a reunion of the original cast of “Real World”.
- Films: Paramount Pictures will place many exciting new releases in service within 45 days of their theatrical release, including the upcoming “Top Gun: Maverick”, “A Quiet Place 2” and “Mission: Impossible 7”. The original studio films for Paramount Plus include a new prequel “Paranormal Activity” and “Pet Sematary”.
Will Paramount Plus be available outside the US?
ViacomCBS says Paramount Plus will also launch in Latin America on March 4; the Canadian version of CBS All Access will have the new name also on that date, but the expanded content will not be available at Great White North until the end of the year. Paramount Plus is scheduled to debut in the Nordic countries on March 25 and in Australia in mid-2021.
How do you sign up for Paramount Plus?
The service will provide direct subscriptions through its website (paramountplus.com), as well as through third-party platform partners, including Apple, Amazon and Google.
What devices can you watch Paramount Plus on?
At launch, Paramount Plus is available for iOS and Android mobile devices; on Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV players; and on the web. For now, Paramount Plus is not compatible with smart TV platforms.
How about Showtime and BET Plus?
These will continue as separate, standalone premium streaming services alongside their linear TV channels. Showtime, for example, announced a “Ray Donovan” film on Wednesday after the series starring Liev Schreiber ended its seven-season run last year. In addition, ViacomCBS TV Pluto will remain a free, ad-supported streaming service, with 43 million global monthly active users in the fourth quarter.
Is there a special discount for Paramount Plus?
Before the official launch on March 4, ViacomCBS offers subscribers who subscribe to the annual CBS All Access plan a 50% discount on the first 12 months. The regular annual service price is $ 59.99 / year with ads and $ 99.99 / year without ads.
What about streaming CBS programs?
To continue watching CBS programs for free, starting March 4, users will need to download a new CBS application. Subscribers to participating pay-TV partners can use their credentials to sign in to the CBS app to access their local station live.