CBS All Access no longer exists and Paramount + has appeared in its place, the latest service to enter the streaming stream as a paid subscription offer. But Paramount + is also reaching a difficult time for smaller services, which compete – whether they recognize it or not – against much bigger giants like Disney + and Netflix. So where does Paramount + fit in and is it worth it?
This probably depends on the individual’s perception of value, which is in many ways the same question that needs to be asked of all paid content services. But, especially when it comes to Paramount +, it enters a space already full of services that meet almost any niche interest. It also decided to launch without a free level of advertising, which could have helped attract unsafe subscribers and which NBCUniversal executives chose to include with the rival service. Peacock at launch. For existing CBS All Access customers – maybe cable cutting fans of CBS broadcasts or its massive amount of Star Trek Content—The value in Paramount + may have more content for the same price. However, for everyone else, I wonder if the marching band will be enough to draw them to a new and potentially distant service from those they already enjoy.
First, let’s clarify what Paramount + really is. This new streaming service is basically CBS All Access, in addition to several things from ViacomCBS. After a free 30-day trial, it will cost $ 10 a month for a premium level that removes ads from on-demand headlines but not from the live stream, plus additional live sports and CBS live news coverage. In June, Paramount + will introduce a low, ad-supported level of $ 5 per month. Confusingly, at launch, prices will remain the same as for CBS All Access with a $ 6 plan that includes limited ads. This option will no longer be available when the new level is launched in June; however, existing CBS All Access subscribers who were grandparents can stay in that plan if they wish.
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On Paramount +, you’ll find content hubs from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and the Smithsonian Channel, though content on these channels initially appeared on CBS All Access last year. The company has also begun to expand its own child-focused content in late 2020, with more stuff from Nick Jr. and new features. In other words, CBS All Access had built a lot of foundations for Paramount + before its launch. What is new and specific to the launch service are its originals – five inclusive 60 minutes +, For God’s sake, Choral Camp: SpongeBob’s Under Years, The Real World Homecoming: New York, and SpongeBob: The Running Sponge– as well as an extensive library of episodes of hit series and movies that include aviator, Mind hunters, Mission impossible movies and Gone Baby Gone.
Certainly, Paramount + feels more of an advantage for ViacomCBS assets than a unique, cohesive product with a strong identity. The service is described as a “home of premium entertainment for the whole family”, but the collection of channels here – just like the ones that slammed to create HBO Max“It feels a little strange.” Make no mistake: there are many things to watch out for. The service has over 30,000 episodes of shows and dozens of movies to air at launch. But it was not clear to me who was trying to serve this product, only that it had more things than CBS All Access.
Organizing these brands on the service also felt a little strange, although I found that the mobile experience was easier to navigate than Paramount + on the desktop. All its content hubs appear one after the other under a prominent carousel of content. At the top of the page, you’ll find tabs for shows, movies, live TV, “brands”, and news. As with Netflix and other services, you’ll find categories on your homepage for things like Recommended Shows for You, Continued Watching, Trends, and Originals, among others. But if you click on individual pages of “brands” it feels like a crapshoot – everything appears only as a single title catalog. On the pages of shows and movies, at least the navigation is organized alphabetically.
The service may introduce more subcategories of content into these pages of the brand as it adjusts its product, but starting with launch day, it seems like you’d better know exactly what you’re looking for or be ready to scroll through a lot of titles. to find something to follow. Navigating this service is hampered by the absence of any formal watch list, which could have helped users navigate through the content more easily, marking interesting titles while browsing.
At launch, Paramount + is available on desktop, iOS and Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Facebook Portal, Fire TV, LG Smart TV, PlayStation 4, Prime Video Channels, Roku, Samsung TV, Vizio Smartcast TV and Xbox devices. The service is “coming soon” on PlayStation 5, a spokesman for Gizmodo confirmed. Paramount + will provide up to six user profiles, but will be limited to three simultaneous streams. The service advertised series and movies available in 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision, but a spokesman told Gizmodo that the content is limited to Paramount + originals and certain Smithsonian Channel content.
Probably, as the service continues to grow, it will bring more to the table for those who were already indifferent to CBS All Access. Two of the biggest releases this year, A quiet place Part II and Mission: Impossible 7, will go to the service of month and a half after leaving cinemas, which could be a potential attraction for new subscribers. Paramount + will also host every UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League match and include coverage of this year’s NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship. Thirty-six originals will arrive in service in 2021 – another potential attraction for subscribers when they premiere.
But since launch day, Paramount + feels a little remarkable compared to its streaming counterparts. Maybe this is less the fault of ViacomCBS, because it is the product of the large number of services we have to choose from now, and Paramount + arrived a little late at the party. Again, I think there is absolutely value in this service for longtime fans of CBS programming, especially for those whose households include children. But in addition to bringing in more bright new features, Paramount + may have trouble convincing new subscribers that it can be great.