Ranking The Potential Of Each Streaming Service

Estimated Subscribers – 8m

Though it was announced just few weeks ago, Paramount+ is actually just a rebranding of Viacom’s existing streaming platform, CBS All Access, with the branding and name value of their film studio deemed more marketable than that of their TV network.

Given that it launched in its previous guise more than five years before any of its counterparts from rival Hollywood studios, the fact that it has already been far eclipsed by all of them in terms of subscriber numbers in less than eighteen months is a worrying sign.

The renaming and announcements of original content that came with it certainly represent a significant gamble for the company that has the smallest overall share of the American film market (5% versus double digits for each of their four rivals), but also reflects a sense of confidence in their properties.

These include much of CBS’ back catalogue (though their biggest hit, The Big Bang Theory, has been sold elsewhere until 2028) and material from other Viacom properties such as MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and Showtime.

The only property that All Access/Paramount+ has really attempted to capitalise on thus far has been Star Trek, however, with Discovery the largest pull the service currently has.

With an uphill battle ahead of them to combat the growth of rivals, Paramount+ will need big hits sooner rather than later to avoid becoming lost in the shuffle.