The launch of rebranded streaming service Paramount+ has been set by ViacomCBS.
It will go live in the U.S. and Latin America on March 4, the Nordics on March 25 and Australia by the middle of the year.
In Canada, CBS All Access will be rebranded as Paramount+ on March 4 and then evolve into an expanded offering later in the year.
The timing of the rollout conforms with guidance from management in recent months. Along with the launch dates, the company said on February 24 it will deliver an overview of its streaming plans for Paramount+, Showtime’s OTT service and the free, ad-supported Pluto TV. The preview will be combined with the company’s regular quarterly earnings report, unlike stand-alone investor events put on by several companies over the past two years.
Paramount+ in its rebranded form will join a crowded streaming field and caps the efforts of a company that completed its merger in December 2019. ViacomCBS has pursued a more opportunistic approach to streaming, licensing Paramount studio films and select network series rights to third parties, not just Netflix but also services run by other media companies. South Park went to HBO Max in a lucrative deal, and an agreement reached last year with NBCUniversal sent marquee properties like Yellowstone and The Godfather to NBCU streaming service Peacock.
Still, the ViacomCBS portfolio blends an array of premium and free streaming assets. In addition to Pluto, whose user base has tripled since Viacom acquired it two years ago, a clutch of free, ad-supported properties like CBSN and CBS Sports HQ give Paramount+ reach that many rivals lack. In recent months, the company has billed Paramount+ as delivering subscribers “live sports, breaking news and a mountain of entertainment.”
