ViacomCBS is planning to merge most elements of its various streaming services into one product — plans that have been in the works for months, with details slowly leaking out like a broken faucet.
The latest nugget of news to come from those plans is that ViacomCBS may brand the new blockbuster streaming service Paramount Plus, a nod to the film studio and television production company it owns.
Currently, ViacomCBS operates three streaming services: The free, ad-supported Pluto TV, which contains more than 200 linear feeds of programming; the streaming-only service CBS All Access and a streaming variant of its premium movie network Showtime.
The idea is to bring together various aspects of those services, then relaunch CBS All Access as a powerhouse streaming offering. Company officials are leaning toward calling the new streaming service Paramount Plus because it resonates with audiences across more demographics than CBS, people familiar with the plans told the Financial Times newspaper.
Company officials have not settled on a name — Paramount Plus is at the top of a short list of brands being considered for the new service, but things could still change, sources told the newspaper. A spokesperson confirmed the company’s line of thinking.
“We are currently going through a thoughtful branding process that will reflect the expansion and relaunch of the service,” a ViacomCBS spokesperson told the Financial Times. “Both existing and new original brands are under consideration.”
ViacomCBS has already taken steps to beef up its CBS All Access product ahead of a relaunch. In recent months, the company has incorporated more film options from its library of Paramount content and has incorporated shows from various Viacom brands, including Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon. Viacom and CBS merged late last year.
With its new streaming service, ViacomCBS is hoping to better position itself against online-only rivals Netflix and Amazon as well as upstarts from Disney, Comcast and Apple. Though Disney and Comcast’s offerings are less than a year old, they’ve already largely eclipsed ViacomCBS’ 17 million monthly subscribers, though the company has seen more success with its ad-supported Pluto TV service, which boasts around 25 million monthly active users.
