The streaming industry continues to expand and evolve, and not necessarily for the sake of clarity. CNBC reports today that ViacomCBS is planning a new streaming service that will build on CBS All Access by combining it with Viacom and Paramount assets.
As you’ll remember, Viacom and CBS agreed to a merger last year, forming the combined “ViacomCBS” content company. Following that merger, ViacomCBS is looking to cash in on a new streaming service. Today’s report explains that the new streaming service from the company will combine CBS All Access with Viacom assets including Pluto TV, BET, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount Pictures.
The service is said to be ad-supported, but with two higher-end tiers: an ad-free version and a “premium” version that includes Showtime. The base tier is expected to be “less than $10 a month,” but deals are unclear. For comparison’s sake, CBS All Access costs $5.99 per month with ads and $9.99 per month without ads.
The new service will also be the first home for Paramount Pictures films, which have been previously licensed to existing streaming services such as Netfilx and Amazon Prime Video. There are about 3,600 Paramount movies, including “The Godfather” and the “Star Trek” movies.
ViacomCBS reportedly plans to continue offering CBS All Access, as well as the standalone Viacom services such as Noggin and Bet+. The hope, however, is that many subscribers will see “how much more programming they’ll get for little extra money” and switch to the combined streaming service.
The new ViacomCBS service, which doesn’t have a name or release date yet, faces quite a bit of upcoming competition. NBC’s Peacock streaming service launches for everyone in July. HBO Max will debut in May for $15 per month, offering 10,000 hours of programming. Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+ also continue to grow and add new content.
ViacomCBS is expected to reveal official details about its streaming strategy during its fourth quarter earnings call on February 20.
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