What CBS All Access Content Will Be Available on Paramount+?
Because ViacomCBS has not lost any of its content library in the merger, Paramount+ will essentially be a renaming and relaunch of CBS All Access. That means that all of the shows and movies currently accessible to CBS All Access subscribers will remain in place. The service will simply switch over on the March 4th launch date—current users will see their CBS All Access accounts and apps updated to reflect the new branding.
What New Content Is Coming to Paramount+?
In addition to the catalog of CBS television shows and original, streaming-exclusive series like
Star Trek Discovery, The Good Fight, The Stand, and
The Twilight Zone, the merger will add a bunch of new content. Highlighted in the pre-launch is advertising content from the following libraries:
- CBS television, including live broadcasts of the local affiliate
- CBS Sports productions, including some live events
- Back catalog of Paramount movies (approximately 1000 at launch)
- Nickelodeon
- MTV
- BET
- Comedy Central
- The Smithsonian Channel
However, calling all of this new content “new” is somewhat misleading. After the latest Viacom merger, CBS All Access started adding in some of the content from the Viacom library right away. Notably, the CBS All Access movie catalog currently includes about 650 entries (though dozens of those are one-off stand-up comedy specials and Smithsonian Channel TV documentaries).
It seems clear that the Paramount+ switch-over will include a ton of new stuff. But if you’re not enticed by any of the current catalog on CBS All Access, then you probably won’t be impressed by Paramount+, either.
What Original Shows Will Paramount+ Have?
Paramount+ will have all of CBS All Access’s original shows, plus new exclusive TV and a few movies. According to both the
CBS official listing and various media reports, the upcoming library includes:
- Three new Star Trek series: Strange New Worlds and Section 31, and an animated show for children, Prodigy.
- The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run, a new animated movie available on launch day (previously unavailable in the U.S.)
- Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, an animated prequel series
- 8 Fights, a documentary series on Muhammad Ali
- A reboot of iCarly
- A new Flashdance TV series
- For Heaven’s Sake, a comedic true crime series
- A reboot of The Game series from BET
- Girls With Guns, a new series from Ridley Scott
- Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, a period comedy
- Guilty Party, a dark comedy series
- Happy Face, a thriller show
- The Harper House, an animated comedy series
- Lioness, a thriller series
- The Man Who Fell to Earth, a sci-fi series based on a classic novel
- Mercy House, an adaptation of a thriller novel
- MTV’s Behind the Music: The Top 40
- The Multivorce, an animated sci-fi comedy
- The Offer, a drama miniseries
- The Real Criminal Minds, a true crime documentary series
- Remote, a workplace comedy
- Twenty Four Seven, a thriller series
- Y: 1883, a prequel to Yellowstone
- You’re Killing Me, a supernatural comedy-drama
It isn’t clear which new Paramount movies will come to the service, or how fast, considering the ever-evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. Warner Bros. has promised all of its 2021 releases for
same-day streaming on HBO Max, while Disney has released some movies on Disney+ for free,
others for a one-time fee. At the moment
the new SpongeBob film is the only major release to hit Paramount+, after a long-delayed theatrical release in the US.
How Much Will Paramount+ Cost?
All current indications are that Paramount+ will continue the pricing model of CBS All Access, though it isn’t outright stated on the promotional page. The current U.S. price for CBS All Access is:
- $5.99 a month with commercials
- $9.99 ad-free (live broadcasts still have advertising)
Customers can save a bit with yearly billing: $60 and $100, a savings of $12 and $20, respectively.
At the moment CBS All Access is running a promotion: Pay for a year of the commercial-free service before the Paramount+ switch-over, and you get a 50% discount, which will remain active as the new service starts. You must sign up for CBS All Access before March 4th to qualify.