ViacomCBS Nearing 47MM Global Streaming Subscribers After Adding 4.3MM in Q3 2021, Pluto TV Reaches 54MM Active Users
ViacomCBS announced the company now has nearly 47 million global streaming subscribers, including Paramount+ and Showtime as of Q3 2021, up 4.3 million on the quarter. They didn’t disclose domestic subscribers, which was 19.2 million as of the end of 2020.
The company said they saw strong subscriber sign-ups as the result of A Quiet Place Part II, Paw Patrol: The Movie, and the start of the NFL season. Showtime benefited from original series Billions, American Rust, and The Chi.
Their free streaming service, Pluto TV, has reached 54 million monthly active users globally at the end of Q3 2021, up from 52 million last quarter. The company didn’t disclose domestic monthly actives. At the end of 2020, Pluto TV has reached 30.1 million monthly active users in the U.S.
The quarter’s big development was the official pricing of the Paramount+ Showtime bundles. While during September 2021, there was promotion pricing, the new plans have settled at Paramount+ with Ads & Showtime at $11.99 a month, and $14.99 a month without.
In September, CEO Bob Bakish also touted “900 series in the works” for multiple languages. Paramount+ should be available in 25 markets by the end of the year and 45 markets by end of 2022. This will be accelerated with a new partnership with Comcast-owned Sky, which will launch on its platform in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
“We are thrilled to expand our long-standing partnership with Sky to continue delivering ViacomCBS’ leading portfolio of premium entertainment brands to Sky customers and importantly bring Paramount+ to new audiences in all Sky markets, including the UK, Ireland, Italy, and GSA,” said Raffaele Annecchino, President and Chief Executive Officer, ViacomCBS Networks International.
ViacomCBS recently added plenty of soccer rights to its streaming and linear platforms, securing the rights to the UEFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, CONCACAF Women’s World Cup Qualifying, the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Women’s World Cup qualifiers for the Asian Football Confederation beginning in January 2022.
They already had rights to UEFA Champions League, Italy’s Serie A, UEFA Europa League, Europa Conference League, NWSL, Concacaf, the Scottish Professional Football League, Brazil’s Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Futbol, the Asian Football Confederation, and the Women’s Cup.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and more. The lineup includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.