Paramount+ Announces Details for International Launches as Company Tries to Stave Off Merger Talks
Paramount Global is bringing its streamer to more global territories, including an expansion of its ad-supported plan into Canada and Australia.
Despite rumors swirling about the future ownership of the company, Paramount Global is moving forward with international expansion plans for Paramount+. The streaming service has been diligently expanding its footprint over the past couple of years, rolling out for the first time in France, Germany and other European territories in 2022, and its spread is continuing in 2024. On Tuesday, Paramount+ announced its plans to bring an ad-supported plan to Australia and Canada starting next month. The company is also planning an expansion of its ad-free tier in France and other European countries by 2024’s end.
- Ad-supported Paramount+ is coming to Canada in April, and Australia in June.
- Paramount+ Premium begins launching in European countries this month.
- International expansion could help Paramount stay in business on its own, as merger and acquisition talks surrounding the company continue.
Many of the countries that are seeing new Paramount+ subscription options being introduced this year already have access to the streamer in some capacity. This new round of expansions is in the name of giving customers in these territories greater choices, and the company is no doubt hoping that it rounds up a good swath of new viewers for its ad-supported plan in areas where it is newly available.
Canada will see the ad-supported “Basic” plan of Paramount+ beginning in April, and Australian customers will be able to access it starting in June. The Basic plan will cost $6.99 CAD and AUD per month respectively, or $61.99 for an annual subscription in the countries’ specific currencies.
Europe will see an expansion of the “Premium” plan of Paramount+ in 2024, beginning with France in March. This tier of the service will be priced at €10.99 monthly, and will be made available in the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy as the year goes along. Full details for the release of Paramount+ Premium in these countries have not yet been unveiled, but details are expected to come throughout the year.
Once the Basic plan rolls out in Canada and Australia, customers there will have three Paramount+ subscription choices. Basic allows viewers to watch with ads on one screen at a time, while the Standard plan bumps the number of simultaneous streams to two and removes ads during playback for $9.99 AUD/$10.99 CAD. The Premium plan costs $13.99 per month in both territories and allows subscribers to download shows and movies for offline viewing. It also provides access to content in 4K UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos.
“As we launch ‘Basic (with ads)’ in our international markets, we can also offer our incredible content at an even more competitive price to ultimately increase our reach and expand our advertising offerings to partners,” Paramount EVP Marco Nobili said. “The ‘Basic’ tier allows us to continue to lead on value by providing consumers an even more affordable entertainment choice for the entire family.”
Will International Streaming Expansion Save Paramount Global?
Paramount Global is at a crossroads these days, for months, the company has been the subject of multiple merger and acquisition rumors. The private equity firm Apollo Global Management is the latest company to show interest in a potential acquisition of Paramount, which is keeping its ear open to offers as it tries to sort out its future.
Paramount has already seen international expansions pay off, but the spread of its ads plan to more countries means that it will be connecting a higher revenue per user in those areas. This key figure will help Paramount keep winnowing down losses and achieve its goal of streaming profitability faster, though whether it will be fast enough to keep another company from making a huge offer for Paramount’s voting stock is yet to be determined.
The company insists it’s focused on executing its own strategy to become a healthy streaming business before it turns to merger talks, and international expansion is a centerpiece of that strategy. Paramount will bring its ad-supported Basic plan to Australia and Canada this year and will continue rolling out its Premium tier in more European countries as well.
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.