ViacomCBS is reportedly planning to announce a new streaming service that will include all of its entertainment offerings as well as news and sport.
The new SVoD is expected to combine CBS All Access with programming from Showtime, Pluto TV, Nickelodeon, BET, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount Pictures.
It’s thought an official announcement will be made on 20th February, when ViacomCBS releases its first quarterly earnings since completing the merger in December. It’s not known if the streamer will just launch in the US or internationally.
According to CNBC, there are plans to launch both an AVoD version and SVoD.
Obviously it remains to be seen whether the streaming market can withstand the launch of yet another service at such a late date. According to analyst Paolo Pescatore, it can thanks to Netflix. “Netflix has paved the way and others are following,” he tells TVBEurope. “Traditional providers have no choice, they have to embrace the video streaming revolution.
“Arguably, all players have left it a bit too late to launch. There will be more wanting to join the gold rush! However, there will be casualties. Not all will survive.”
According to Pescatore, the decision to launch a streaming service across multiple genres is a sensible move: “It strengthens the overall content offering and reduces fragmentation (no need to download another app or have a separate bill).”
