Back in December, Warner Media announced a new plan to release films for a limited run on their streaming service, HBO Max, on the same day as their theatrical release. While many in the industry were shocked and quite upset by this move, Warner Media execs assured that this was a triple win for everyone and it seems like Viacom CBS is following in their steps.
Select upcoming films from Paramount Pictures will have their streaming debut on Paramount+ immediately following a theatrical release window of 30-45 days, including: A Quiet Place Part II, PAW PATROL: The Movie and Mission: Impossible 7. Other key titles arriving on Paramount+ in 2022 following their theatrical runs, and in some cases after their pay TV debuts on EPIX, include: Snake Eyes, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Top Gun: Maverick, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Transformers 7, Dungeons and Dragons, Scream and more.
All recent Paramount films such as: Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Sonic the Hedgehog, Bumblebee and Rocketman will also be available to stream. The previously announced movie The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Sponge on the Run, will be available to watch once the service launches on March 4th.
The announcement has many in shock and wondering what this exactly means for the future of theaters and the cinema experience. While Paramount films will be released theatrically first, the mere fact that they will be available shortly after to stream at home alongside exclusively made films for Paramount+, reminds all of the era of streaming wars that we are in.
The company also outlined plans to ramp up production for movies that will be made exclusively for Paramount+. The first of these feature-length films offered will include new versions of Paranormal Activity and Pet Sematary as well as an original supernatural story, The In Between, featuring Joey King, the star of the smash hit, The Kissing Booth. These titles produced by Paramount Players will join a collection of exclusive original movie premieres supplied by the broader portfolio of ViacomCBS studios.
The content strategy is rooted in a commitment to telling great stories across every genre, including must-watch sports and news programming. The live and on-demand service will leverage the company’s biggest franchises and storied IP, including through premium originals and a deep library of shows and movies from some of the world’s greatest content creators, highlighting the hit-making power of ViacomCBS to deliver a truly unique offering with can’t-miss content and wide demographic appeal.
Paramount+ will feature a wide range of depth in content that spans across key genres, including 7,000 episodes of children’s content, 5,000 episodes of reality and 6,000 episodes of comedy.
Debuting in Latin American and Canada on March 4th. Then the Nordics on March 25 and Australia later this year. Paramount+ will introduce a two pricing tier. A premium plan for $9.99 a month and an ad-subscription base plan for $4.99 a month available in June.
