Paramount+ Reaches 46 Million Global Subscribers in Q3 2022; Pluto TV Hits 72 Million Monthly Active Users

On Wednesday, Paramount Global released its earnings report for the third quarter of 2022. Included in the announcement was the latest subscriber count for the company’s direct-to-consumer streaming services.

Across Paramount+, Showtime, BET+, and noggin, Paramount added 4.7 million DTC subscribers, reaching nearly 67 million global subscribers. Included in that is 46 million Paramount+ subscribers, which was up from 43 million subscribers last quarter. Paramount’s CEO Bob Bakish has previously set the goal of reaching 100 million Paramount+ subscribers by 2024.

The company said that Paramount+ subscriber growth was driven by launches in international markets as well as the start of the NFL season, UEFA Champions League, and the launch of the Walmart+ partnership.

Pluto TV, Paramount’s free ad-supported TV (FAST) service reached 72 million monthly active users globally in Q3, up from the nearly 70 million they had last quarter. Paramount said that Pluto TV grew total global viewing hours by “strong double-digits year-over-year.”

Throughout Q3, Paramount+ has launched in several countries with plans for more international growth. Italian viewers now have access to the streaming service, including exclusive content. On Dec. 1, the streaming service debuts in France. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland will get to begin streaming on Dec. 8.

Paramount joined forces with Walmart, adding its ad-supported tier as a perk for Walmart+ members. This is a major driving force behind the streamer’s jump in subscribers because the deal sent many new subscribers to Paramount+. Walmart+ last reported having 16 million subscribers, which is a big boost for Paramount+.

Q3 has been an important one for Paramount when it comes to sports. Big 10 basketball and football games are set to air on Paramount+. Paramount has also retained the U.S. rights to the UEFA Champions League through 2030.

One new title that hit Paramount+ at the end of October is “The Real Love Boat,” which was not performing well on CBS. The reality series is moving to Paramount+, which could be a win for the streaming service if it fares better there. The idea is that it will have a second chance at succeeding on the streaming platform instead of the linear channel.

Viewers in some international markets will soon be able to stream “Top Gun: Maverick” via Paramount+. At this point, Paramount has not announced when the highly anticipated movie will make its streaming debut in the U.S. Paramount Global President and CEO Brian Robbins previously promised that it will stream in the U.S. this year. Once the film does arrive on Paramount+, this may give the streamer a good amount of traffic. Until then, viewers will be left waiting.

Recently, rumors circulated that Paramount would be doing away with SHOWTIME and moving all of its content to Paramount+ instead. However, Bob Bakish, the CEO of Paramount Global has since denied this and the standalone service appears to be doing well on its own. Talks about a potential merger have happened, but no moves are being made yet.