CBS All-Access Is Going Away, Will Be Replaced With This
CBS All-Access had a short life, but it will be getting replaced with this new streaming platform.
CBS All-Access didn’t have the longest lifespan, but it won’t be completely dying. Instead, the streaming platform will be changing into a brand new titled service at some point early next year.
After 2021, you won’t have to worry about CBS All-Access anymore. Instead, the service will rebrand as Paramount+. The decision was hinted at earlier this year and it looks like the formal announcement has been made. The new name is an attempt to better illustrate the kind of content that is available on the ViacomCBS-owned platform.
The line of thinking is that the name CBS All-Access didn’t properly sell people on the streaming platform’s library. Most people assumed it was only a repository for CBS television shows and original content. With the new name of Paramount+, the owners are hoping that people realize it has an extensive movie library as well as television series.
This change from CBS All-Access comes from the hopes that Paramount+ will be able to compete with the other major streaming platforms: Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, and Peacock. As more original content is planned for the streaming platform, Paramount+ will have to find something that will really grab the attention (and money) of consumers.
It certainly seems like CBS All-Access wasn’t getting the job done. We know viewership dropped for one of their premier prestige shows, and it sounds like interest in Star Trek: Discovery might be waning since CBS is airing that show’s first season on TV in an effort to gain more interested consumers. The decision to rename the platform Paramount+ will also be a way to better push the new Star Trek shows as must-see pieces of content.
CBS All-Access was actually looking kind of puny at the outset, but this last July saw a huge influx of movies and library television shows make their way into the streaming platform’s library. Unfortunately, consumers aren’t quite as aware of this upgrade as they need to be. It is almost certain that the rebranding to Paramount+ will also include an ad campaign that stresses this large library.
And to be totally fair, Paramount+ just sounds a lot nicer than CBS All-Access. An alliterative title makes it easy to say and remember, and “paramount” is a word that is supposed to stress the ultimate pinnacle of something. If ViacomCBS puts the right kind of emphasis (and enough cash) in their eventual advertising campaign, this should be one of the biggest pieces of the platform’s identity.
So, pour one out for CBS All-Access and get ready for Paramount+. Will the rebranding attempt help increase subscriber numbers? Could that mean more people start watching Star Trek: Lower Decks and realize what a dorky delight it is? We can only hope. Until then, we will have to wait and see if this name change is going to be the right course action. Or will it be nothing more than a bandage? Only time will tell. Paramount+ will make its debut at some point in 2021, so expect to see advertising for it very soon.
