The CBS All Access streaming service is getting a name change: Prepare for Paramount+.
The rebranding will occur early next year in an attempt to attract more subscribers, says parent company ViacomCBS, which owns Paramount Pictures and the CBS television network. According to ViacomCBS, the Paramount name—which is best known for movies—resonates more with consumers, who already have to choose from a plethora of video streaming options.
“We recognize that we’re asking people to pull out their credit card and subscribe to our ($5.99 a month) service," Domenic DiMeglio, chief marketing officer for ViacomCBS Digital, said in a statement. “The Paramount brand, which audiences strongly associate with creativity and great storytelling, helps signal it’s worth the price.”
CBS All Access remains in the shadows of Netflix and Disney+, which have 193 million and 60.5 million subscribers, respectively. In contrast, CBS All Access and its sister streaming option, Showtime, were on track to hit a combined 16 million subscribers by year’s end.
The re-branding occurs as ViacomCBS prepares to bring the streaming service to Australia, Latin America, and the Nordic countries early next year. According to the company's own internal survey, the Paramount name commands name recognition not just in the US, but across the globe. “In the US, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Spain, the UK, and Australia, well over 90 percent of people said they had a positive view of the brand,” the company said.
The streaming service is also getting more content in coming months. Existing subscribers can expect over 30,000 episodes and movies, an increase from the existing 20,000 plus. To bolster Paramount+ with more original content, ViacomCBS is developing Lioness, a spy drama, and The Offer, “a scripted series based on Oscar-winning producer Al Ruddy’s experiences making The Godfather.”
CBS All Access, which launched in October 2014, currently offers subscribers access to the new TV shows from the Star Trek series, and episodes and movies from BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Pictures. The service also comes with live news, sports and TV programming from CBS. For $9.99 a month, you can watch it without ads.
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