Source: Nicholas Hunt / Getty
ViacomCBS hopes reboots of popular MTV shows plus some new original series will lure you over to Paramount Plus.
Wednesday (Feb.24), ViacomCBS announced that CBS All Access will become Paramount Plus. The rebranded streaming network will combine all of the assets from both Viacom and CBS, a product of the 2019 merger that brought the two companies together. When Paramount Plus launches next week, users can look forward to having access to over 20,000 episodes from shows from various networks like CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Comedy Central, and Paramount Pictures.
Paramount Plus will feature new content like the Halo series that was originally supposed to air on Showtime, new original series based on Criminal Minds, The Godfather, a new Spongebob Squarepants cartoon, to name a few out of the long list of announcements. CEO Bob Bakish also announced that Paramount Films releases would hit the network 30-45 days after their theatrical release. So you can expect to see films like Mission Impossible 7, A Quiet Place II, and possibly No Time To Die in your homes but not as quickly as HBO Max and Warner Bros.’s same-day premiere strategy.
That all sounds good but reboots seem to be what Paramount Plus is hedging its bets on.
Fans of the iconic MTV shows like YO! MTV Raps, Behind The Music, and Unplugged will be happy to hear they will be coming back exclusively on Paramount Plus. “We are thrilled to re-invent some of our most storied and impactful music franchises, including Behind the Music and Yo! MTV Raps, for Paramount+,” said Bruce Gilmer, ViacomCBS President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events after the announcement.
For those who are not familiar with any of the shows, Behind the Music was beloved by MTV viewers becuase it gave fans an intimate look into the lives of their favorite artists. Unplugged featured artists like JAY-Z and Lauryn Hill performing stripped-down live versions of their songs backed by live bands in front of intimate crowds. YO! MTV Raps was the first Hip-Hop show on MTV and was hosted originally hosted by Fab 5 Freddy before Ed Lover and Doctor Dre took over weekday hosting duties. Fab 5 Freddy moved to weekends.
The rebooted YO! MTV Raps will feature live performances, cyphers, and in-depth conversations about the current state of Hip-Hop.
When Paramount Plus arrives, it will have two separate pricing tiers to choose from. Starting in June, an ad-supported subscription plan will cost $4.99 that will give users access to all of Paramount movies, Paramount Plus originals, current seasons of CBS shows, and a “massive portion of the library,” according to streaming CEO Tim Ryan. The premium tier will give users everything mentioned above, plus live sports, a CBS news feed, and live CBS television.
Paramount Plus sounds intriguing, but we shall see if users are eager to add another subscription to their already long list of bills.
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Photo: Nicholas Hunt / Getty
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