Paramount+ Pulls 10 Nickelodeon Shows Including ‘Big Nate,’ ‘Rugrats’ and More
The latest content cuts at Paramount’s streamer could be a sign that a deal to acquire its parent company may be drawing close.
It’s been a rough year for Paramount’s reputation as a provider of kids content. In February it was announced that the company was laying off the entire staff of its kids streaming service Noggin ahead of that streamer’s eventual shutdown, and now reports are circulating that Paramount+ has removed 10 Nickelodeon original series as part of its ongoing attempts to rationalize the content on the streaming platform.
- Shows removed include 2021’s “Rugrats,” 2019’s “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and others.
- In its fourth quarter 2023 10-K filing, Paramount indicated such content cuts were coming.
- Paramount Global may be trying to streamline Paramount+ to make itself more attractive to buyers.
Several of the shows pulled from Paramount+ were remakes of popular Nick shows from the 1990s, meant to appeal to the nostalgia of millennial viewers. This includes 2019’s “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and 2021’s “Rugrats.” Both of the 1990s versions of these titles are still available to stream on Paramount+.
Other titles removed include “Blue’s Clues & You!” (2019), “It’s Pony” (2020-2022), “Middlemost Post” (2021-2022), “Ollie’s Pack” (2020), Ryan’s Mystery Playdate (2019-2023), “Santiago of the Seas” (2020), “That Girl Lay Lay” (2021-2024) and Big Nate” (2022).
Paramount indicated that such cuts were in the offing in paperwork filed with its fourth quarter 2023 earnings report. The company said it expected to recognize charges of $700 to $900 million in the first quarter of 2024 as it continued to remove assets from Paramount+ that were no longer money-makers.
“In connection with our continued review of our international content strategy, during the first quarter of 2024 we made a strategic decision to focus on content with mass global appeal,” Paramount wrote in its 10-K filing. “As part of this, we are rationalizing original content on Paramount+, especially internationally, and improving the efficiency of our linear network programming. As a result, we have reviewed our expansive global content portfolio and are removing select content from our platforms.”
Why is Paramount+ Cutting More Content?
This is not the first time Paramount has removed shows from its flagship streaming platform. The most well-publicized round of cuts came in summer of 2023, when dozens of titles were pulled from Paramount+’s inventory.
In part, the content removals are designed to help Paramount save money in the long run and continue working toward its goal of profitability. Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish has said repeatedly that Paramount+ is on track to be domestically profitable by the first quarter of 2025, and pulling shows from the streamer allows the company to save on back-end costs and royalty payments to creators.
But it’s hard to ignore the larger story surrounding Paramount when discussing this latest round of TV purges from Paramount+. The company is up for sale, and there are reportedly a couple of multi-billion dollar offers on the table. This round of content cuts could be intended as a sign to prospective buyers that Paramount wants to get a deal done, and is willing to do some fat-trimming before a sale is finalized.
There’s no media company worth keeping an eye on for huge changes as much as Paramount Global, these days. Content removals are just the beginning, as a deal to sell the company could be announced at any time. More cuts could be on the way for Paramount+, and other shows and movies could join the 10 Nick shows pulled from the streamer on the discard pile soon.
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.