It’s been nearly six years since the launch of CBS All Access, ViacomCBS’s attempt to break into the streaming market. The service (which runs $5.99 with ads or $9.99 without) hit the market in October 2014 and currently boasts four million subscribers. However, the conglomerate announced this morning it plans to launch a new streaming service attempting to build on what CBS All Acess has built, according to a Q4 report from the company.
Viacom and CBS, which completed a merge in December to form ViacomCBS, plan to include content from each of the company’s brands to add onto the service’s current catalogue of CBS programming. Referred to in a press release as its “House of Brands,” little further details were released regarding as to what specific content the service will host. Considering Viacom’s ownership of networks such as BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and MTV, in addition to production company Paramount Pictures, it is likely that programming from these channels will appear on the new streaming service. The platform will also include access to Pluto TV, a free, ad-supported service Viacom purchased prior to merging with CBS.
The press release affirms that this new service will “buil[d] on the foundation of CBS All Access,” and suggests member tiers for accessing layers of exclusive content may be the route the company is headed towards. “The combined company will have the best of both worlds,” noted former acting CBS CEO Joe Ianniello in an August 2019 investors call, stating the new service will offer “premium US programming that seamlessly travels across borders and hundreds of thousands of hours of locally produced international programming, all available with the click of a button.”
Considering Netflix and Hulu’s subscriber counts of 167 and 30.4 million, respectively, CBS All Access’ figure of just four million sits on the low end of the market. While CBS was relatively early in entering the streaming market in October 2014, the new service will now sit among the ranks of Disney+, NickSplat, and other upcoming platforms such as WarnerMedia’s HBOMax or NBC’s Peacock, which are both expected by the end of the year.
No further information has been released as of yet confirming the service’s name, programming, or exact release date, however, the press release notes the platform plans to launch later this year.