We’re in the phase of entertainment where legacy TV/movie companies are merging with others to gain a foothold in the streaming market. According to The Hollywood Reporter, SHOWTIME is embarking on a merger with Paramount+.
Paramount+ has been gaining some serious ground since it launched not too long ago. Along with some original content, you’re also able to watch content from some of your favorite channels on TV. Kids and adults can watch shows and movies from Nickelodeon. If you’re a fan of BET, Comedy Central, CBS, MTV, or The Smithsonian Channel, you can also find the content you’ll love.
The Paramount+ and SHOWTIME merger was confirmed
The merger was a rumor a little while, but Paramount’s CEO Bob Bakish just confirmed it. He posted a memo to the staff explaining what’s going on with the change. The linear streaming services SHOWTIME will be fully integrated into Paramount+’s premium tier.
Paramount+’s premium tier will be rebranded as Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. As you can guess, this means that you’ll be able to stream SHOWTIME content along with the regular content on the platform. Since the company only talks about the highest tier, you won’t have access to the SHOWTIME content on the base tier.
With this merger, there’s going to be a slight change in the leadership. Chris McCarthy will remain the head of the SHOWTIME while Tom Ryan will oversee the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME content.
As far as the content goes, the memo didn’t talk too much about what kind of content to expect, but it did mention something important. Going forward, franchises are going to be a main focus. SHOWTIME has several shows out in the wild now, and the companies are going to prioritize those with the highest “franchise potential”.
So you should expect some shows to be greenlit for additional seasons. However, this could mean that other shows might get the ax while the company shifts focus. “…we will divert investment away from areas which are underperforming and that account for less than 10% of our views.”
We’re not sure which shows will be cut. You’ll just want to be on the lookout for several shows to be discontinued. There are still a lot of questions in the air, so the company will share more details with its staff in the coming weeks.
2023-02-01 15:09:16