With content from its established brands, namesake movie studio, and a planned slate of originals, the streamer looks to appeal to all market segments with everything from blockbuster movies to sports to news to kids TV.
New streamer Paramount+ has been using the tag line “A Mountain of Entertainment” in all of their advertising to garner interest for their new service, launching today. With more than 30,000 episodes from CBS VIAC, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET and MTV, as well movies from the expansive Paramount Pictures library, and live programming such as sports and news, they may just be right. Originally launched in 2014 as CBS All Access, the switch to the new moniker and programming strategy comes during an eight-month blitz that has seen the debuts of competitors Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, and Peacock. Given the merger in 2019 of CBS and Viacom to become ViacomCBS VIAB, content brands in the extended family now range from CBS’ NFL football to Jersey Shore to Dora the Explorer and The Daily Show With Trevor Noah as well as the CSI and NCIS franchises, along with all of the films housed within the Paramount Pictures vault. Beginning today, CBS All Access ceases operation, shifting to Paramount+, with the fees for inclusion intact — $4.99 per month with ads, $9.99 per month without. In terms of cost, Paramount+ is at a comparable price point with its largest competitors – with Apple AAPL TV+ at $4.99 per month, Netflix NFLX starting at $8.99, HBO max at $14.99, and Disney+ moving up to $7.99 per month in mid-March. Peacock, however does offer a free option, but to access much of its content it’s necessary to upgrade to the premium tier at a cost of $4.99 per month, with a premium plus tier available at $9.99 per month. Many of the services do offer a free trial, with a discounted price if customers paid for a year up front. Looking specifically at the new streamer’s feature film programming, Paramount studios, founded in 1912, is currently the longest operating studio in Hollywood.
