Tom Ryan talks to The Hollywood Reporter about licensing programs for a rival platform and why it’s smart to be an opponent in this business.
On the surface, there seems to be little connection between Tom Ryan’s current role of overseeing ViacomCBS’s streaming strategy with his previous stints as music director at CD compilation startup Cductive or CEO of graphic t-shirt retailer Threadless. But the New York native says that each job gave him the opportunity to curate a personalized experience for his clients. “I am very interested, almost obsessed, with this concept of programming for people, so that it is easier for them to find what they want,” says Ryan. “The internet is a very powerful medium, but it becomes paralyzing for many people because they don’t know where to look.”
Ryan, 51, and his team work hard for them, helping viewers organize the huge programming catalog on Paramount +, the ViacomCBS subscription streaming service launched on March 4 with more than 30,000 television episodes. The company is also aligning 2,500 library films and has plans for an extensive list of originals that includes a Frasier revival and a Yellowstone prequel. (Disney + released with 7,500 episodes and 500 films.) Ryan took over the venture – a revamped and supercharged version of the 6-year-old CBS All Access – in October, after selling his previous startup, ad-supported streamer Pluto TV, for Viacom for $ 340 million in 2019. He says running Pluto TV, which offers themed streaming channels that mimic the live TV experience, and Paramount + can help “make the one-plus-one of the free and paid streaming equal to three. “
A few days before Paramount + launched, the married man, father of three, took a break from the “choreography” of the launch at his Hollywood Hills home for a virtual check-in with THR about ViacomCBS ‘streaming ambitions.
What experiences of directing Pluto TV did you apply to your new role at ViacomCBS?
The power of counter insights is equally applicable to businesses being launched by larger companies. With Pluto, we were linear in the on-demand era, free in the paid subscription era, and supported by ads when people said the ads were leaving. There is a lot we can do with Paramount + that is born out of some of these insights and also that philosophy. There are some great streamers out there, but we need to think about what we can do that hasn’t been done – even though it might seem otherwise – that will allow us to be winners.
Why did it make sense for ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish to put you in charge of the subscription and streaming business with free ad support?
As Bob said, we have a unique streaming strategy on the market, as we see the world of streaming evolving in a way that resembles how traditional TV was built over the years, where you have free, paid and premium access. Pluto is our main player in the free space, Paramount + in the ample payment space and, on the premium side, we have Showtime, BET + etc. We’re working hard on all the different ways to take advantage of the services we have to create a fee-paying upsell funnel and, for those who fail to pay, to keep our ecosystem free [with Pluto TV].
How does the launch on the back of the legacy CBS All Access streamer help Paramount +?
The team I inherited is extremely talented. We have support from all divisions of the company, so this is one of the main priorities. Everyone is aligned to make it successful and we have a fast start. We announce 30 million global subscribers to our paid streaming services, so we’re not starting from scratch here. All of this, I feel, is really powerful. CBS All Access was largely a CBS product, so the opportunity for us now is to go much, much more than we have been able to do historically.
How will you introduce a new brand to CBS All Access customers?
It will take some time and effort for consumers to digest the evolution. But I don’t think it’s that hard to do, between what we can do in terms of direct messages and messages through our partners and messages widely, as you saw in the Super Bowl and everything we’re doing in digital and on TV and social . Consumers will understand, but there is a certain education process.
Paramount + will not have Yellowstone, which is being broadcast on NBCUniversal’s Peacock, but will have its prequel and spinoff. What challenge does this pose?
While it is true that we do not have Yellowstone, we have Taylor Sheridan, and I’m confident that all the new programs that we’re bringing to Paramount + will be extremely popular. Some of these decisions were made before the merger of Viacom and CBS, so they are historical artifacts. We will still seek to license content to other streamers where we think it makes sense, and not always for financial reasons. If you look at Icarly at the moment, it’s one of the best shows on Netflix. The promotion you’re getting through Netflix is basically educating a new group of Icarly fans, including my three children. We will be bringing the new Icarly for Paramount +. Therefore, licensing brings benefits, but it needs to be done carefully. Going forward, we will focus more on putting our best content on Paramount +.
Is it safe to assume that you will want to recover some of the programs you have licensed elsewhere over time?
Yes, claiming certain content and placing it on Paramount + is fundamental to the strategy, but it is on a case-by-case basis.
Which Paramount + reboot or spinoff are you most looking forward to?
Taylor Sheridan’s new material is probably the most exciting for me. He’s a great artist.
How will you implement curation within Paramount + to help subscribers examine all originals and the previous catalog?
We have machine learning profiles that will get to know you better and provide personalized recommendations. There are our brands – from Nickelodeon to Comedy Central and MTV – that really represent something in each of their respective genres. We’re bringing linear interest-based channels – channels like Pluto – that allow you to get into content. And there is a wide variety of other things that we have not yet announced and that we are working on.
Now that all the major media conglomerates are betting on streaming, how do you think the next few years will be for ViacomCBS?
There will be a handful of winners. There is a high tide that will raise the best boats – not all boats – and I am confident that we have the best boat for free today and all the ingredients for one of the best boats at an affordable price.
Edited interview for duration and clarity.
This story first appeared in the March 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Click here to subscribe.