Paramount+ and Showtime Combine for 36 Million Global Subscribers
ViacomCBS platforms are up 6 million subs from the end of February
ViacomCBS hit 36 million global subscribers combined between its streaming platforms, primarily Paramount+ (which was recently rebranded from CBS All Access) and Showtime’s OTT platform, in the first quarter of 2021, the company reported Thursday.
That’s up from the 30 million subscribers worldwide that ViacomCBS said it had across CBS All Access and Showtime at the end of February, just ahead of the March 4 debut of Paramount+.
Per ViacomCBS, that subscriber growth in the quarter ended March 31 was led by Paramount+, where “the biggest drivers of sign-ups were live sports and specials, including the Super Bowl, NCAA Tournament, UEFA Champions League, Oprah with Meghan and Harry and The Grammy Awards, as well as kids’ content, including programming from the SpongeBob universe and iCarly, and original programming, including The Stand and Star Trek: Discovery.”
ViacomCBS’ says its original programming, content from cable brands and Paramount movies drove almost half of Paramount+ subscriber engagement. And globally, Nickelodeon programming was an even more “significant” factor in signups and engagement.
Meanwhile, Showtime OTT “delivered its best quarter ever in sign-ups, streams and hours watched,” according to ViacomCBS, record attributed to streaming of original series “Your Honor” and “Shameless.”
ViacomCBS did not break out domestic Paramount+ and Showtime OTT subscribers, a mark that was at 19.6 million on Feb. 24.
Meanwhile, Pluto TV now has nearly 50 million monthly active users globally, rising from 43 million on Feb. 24.
Before CBS All Access became Paramount+, ViacomCBS said it expected to reach 65-75 million global subscribers between Paramount+ and Showtime by 2024.
ViacomCBS revealed its new streaming subscriber numbers along with its first-quarter 2021 earnings Thursday. Readers can find out more about how the company did on that front here.
More to come…
Read original story Paramount+ and Showtime Combine for 36 Million Global Subscribers At TheWrap
