Rebranded Paramount+ streaming service launches on March 4
The upcoming Paramount+ streaming service, a rebranding of CBS All Access with an expansion of available content, is set to officially launch on March 4, 2021.
Credit: ViacomCBS
Paramount+ will go live in the U.S. and Latin America on March 4, ViacomCBS said Wednesday. The company said a more detailed overview of the streaming plans will be revealed at its fourth quarter earnings call on Feb. 24.
In Canada, CBS All Access will be rebranded as Paramount+, but won't receive all of the new streaming service's features until later in 2021. The service will then reach the Nordic countries on March 24 and launch in Australia sometime in mid-2021.
First revealed in 2021, the streaming service will see a bump in content from about 20,000 TV show episodes to more than 30,000.
While CBS All Access was focused on CBS and internet-based content, the new Paramount+ will include shows from a variety of ViacomCBS channels like BET, Comedy Central, and MTV. Along with the wider portfolio of news, sports, and entertainment, there are also plans for new original services. It will also stream some films from Paramount's slate of movies.
Ultimately, Paramount is ViacomCBS's effort to compete with network rivals such as NBC's Peacock and HBO Max.
Credit: ViacomCBS
Paramount+ will go live in the U.S. and Latin America on March 4, ViacomCBS said Wednesday. The company said a more detailed overview of the streaming plans will be revealed at its fourth quarter earnings call on Feb. 24.
In Canada, CBS All Access will be rebranded as Paramount+, but won't receive all of the new streaming service's features until later in 2021. The service will then reach the Nordic countries on March 24 and launch in Australia sometime in mid-2021.
First revealed in 2021, the streaming service will see a bump in content from about 20,000 TV show episodes to more than 30,000.
While CBS All Access was focused on CBS and internet-based content, the new Paramount+ will include shows from a variety of ViacomCBS channels like BET, Comedy Central, and MTV. Along with the wider portfolio of news, sports, and entertainment, there are also plans for new original services. It will also stream some films from Paramount's slate of movies.
Ultimately, Paramount is ViacomCBS's effort to compete with network rivals such as NBC's Peacock and HBO Max.
Comments
I have Netflix and YTTV and Disney+ because of family members, but frankly, I could live without all of them. (I do have ESPN+ for another month or so because I was granfathered in when ESPN the Mag went away and I had like 2 or 3 years left on my $5/yr subscription. But I don't think I've ever used that for video. I doubt I'll ever pay for AppleTV+ once my trial expires - whenever that really happens.) Haven't had a "cable bill" for maybe 8 years. In fact, the home we built 5 years ago doesn't even have coax (rg6) anywhere in the house except one run from the attic antenna going to my HD HomeRun.
(Prime is... Prime. I'd love to get off paying THAT annual tax, but I will fully admit they've got me pretty much hooked for the foreseeable future there...)
I really don't see how people can stand to "cut the cable" and then pay nearly as much (eg YTTV: 2017: $35/mo, 2018: $40/mo. 2019: $50/mo. 2020: $65/mo) in streaming as you did for cable. Yes, bundling is definitely the smart way to go (eg ESPN+/Hulu/D+) but I just can't see people wanting to pay $100/mo total for all of these services, but that's what we're coming to I suppose.
And I can't see these streaming services continuing to "let" their customers easily pay for one month just to watch one or TV shows just to cancel the next month. Maybe most people don't do that, but I sure do see more people online doing that than keeping them year-round.
If they raise the price in Canada and continue to give us a smaller selection of programs, I'll probably cancel it. By the way, we don't get the option of the bundle of Apple TV+ with CBS AA like Americans do. So we're already paying more, for less. Although I'm not complaining too much about that since the price is not outrageous.
I definitely think they're fine with customers turning the service on & off. They prefer you never turn it off, and some won't. But it becomes their job to provide annual meaningful content. HBO has succeeded in this for me -- since GoT ended they have had enough interesting shows and documentaries for me to keep it on. Starz and Showtime, not so much, it's on & then off when my has ended (Homeland, American Gods, Twin Peaks, etc). But they'd rather collect sometimes than not collect at all, no?
Apple TV is now part of the services bundle so I guess we get that. Disney we get too...I can't see adding another service no matter what they put on as I don't have the time to watch what we have now.