CBS All Access and Showtime OTT Hit 10 Million Subscribers, Decrease Yearly Churn
ViacomCBS-owned streaming services CBS All Access and Showtime OTT reached a collective 10 million subscribers. ViacomCBS Chief Digital Officer-CBS Interactive CEO Marc DeBevoise announced the numbers at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour on Sunday, Variety reported.
He believe the streamers will hit 25 million by 2022, given the 60 percent annual subscriber growth rate. DeBevoise credits the success to original programming, such as “Star Trek: Discovery” and “The Good Fight,” a spinoff from “The Good Wife.”
CBS All Access also streams The Grammys and live sports, such as NFL games. And, the service has a new kids’ element, with plans for “Mr. Magoo” and “Lassie” reboots. That’s an important addition to the company, which already includes Nickelodeon.
Another plus: “We’ve decreased churn each year since starting the service, so we feel really good about the trend line,” DeBevoise told TCA. The executive doesn’t believe rival streamers will impact growth, declaring streaming is not a “zero-sum” game. “The diversity of our service of the types of programming — the nature of live and on demand, library and current, different genres — that’s pretty unique.”
Ahead of its Jan. 23 debut, season two of “Star Trek: Picard” was just announced. It stars Patrick Stewart as the charismatic captain of the starship USS Enterprise.
Also on the slate, the new nonlinear true-crime series “Interrogation,” with Peter Sarsgaard as the lead detective, debuts Feb 6. All 10 episodes are available on launch day. Viewers witness the day of the crime, a young man accused of killing his mother, then follow the evidence. The thriller also stars David Strathairm (“Good Night, and Good Luck”) and Vincent D’Onorio (“The Godfather of Harlem”).
CBS All Access will be part of Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex platforms later this year.