Executives at ViacomCBS have put on hold a planned re-brand of its flagship cable channel, Paramount Network.
Last September, executives canceled a slew of shows at Paramount Network — including “Ink Masters” and “Wife Swap” — as part of a strategy to reorient the channel around long-form dramas and movies.
The relaunched channel was set to be named “Paramount Movie Network,” according to information provided by ViacomCBS at that time. The new brand was intended to better emphasize Paramount as a destination for full-length movies as well as hit series like “Yellowstone,” which is cable television’s top drama. As part of the strategy, ViacomCBS planned to air over 50 original movies each year.
Now, those plans have been put on an indefinite hold, with ViacomCBS set to keep the Paramount Network brand over the long term, with no indication whether the company will move forward with the original movies.
According to people familiar with the matter, executives ultimately decided that efforts and money were better spent investing in the company’s flagship streaming service, Paramount Plus, instead of putting more content on a cable channel.
It isn’t clear if the plan will ever be revisited, but at least for now, the cable channel will continue to exist as Paramount Network. The channel’s hit series, Yellowstone, ended its fourth season earlier this month; the fifth season could be released as soon as this fall.
