Paramount is developing a plan to introduce a free tier of its streaming service Paramount Plus that will offer micro-dramas, vertical videos and a small amount of episodic television content, according to a report published this week.
The report, from Business Insider, said the free tier is intended to serve as a barker opportunity with the goal of driving more subscriptions to Paramount Plus. The company’s free streaming service, Pluto TV, already promotes Paramount Plus to streamers on that platform; Pluto TV and Paramount Plus are expected to combine their technical stacks later this year.
Specific to Paramount Plus, executives are testing the delivery of microdramas and vertical videos as a way to increase interest in the streaming platform’s subscription tiers, the report said.
Paramount Plus added a short-form video feed earlier this year, following similar moves by Netflix, Disney Plus and Peacock. Internal documents cited by Business Insider said micro dramas could help establish daily mobile viewing habits and change how subscribers use the application outside traditional long-form sessions.
Paramount is also developing a feature called the “Free Front Porch,” which would allow users to watch selected movies and programs without paying for a subscription. Viewers would be required to create a free account.
Other services have tried to offer a limited amount of content in free tiers in the past. Hulu, which originally began as a streaming joint venture between three broadcasters, offered a small amount of next-day TV episodes through its web-based version for free before ultimately winding down that plan in favor of a subscription-only model. Comcast’s Peacock took the same approach when it launched several years ago, only to pull its free tier a short time later.
Video podcasts are another area of focus. Paramount plans to add more vertically formatted clips from programs associated with CBS News, CBS Sports and other company brands. Executives believe the clips can increase engagement while directing viewers toward full podcast episodes and longer-form video.
For sports viewers, Paramount Plus is expanding multi-view on connected television devices. Planned changes include greater control over which games appear in the four-screen layout and the ability to select the audio feed.
