Is Paramount+ still the "Home of STAR TREK"?

Is Paramount+ still the “Home of STAR TREK”?

With the departure of Star Trek: Prodigy in 2023 and 10 of the 13 Star Trek films as of New Year’s Day, it appears that Paramount+ is no longer the "Home of Star Trek '' the company promoted at last year's Comic-Con. This significant shift in streaming rights marks a notable change in the landscape of how Star Trek content is accessed by its fanbase.

According to TrekMovie.com, as of the beginning of 2024, fans looking to stream the original series (TOS) or The Next Generation (TNG) Star Trek movies in the USA will have to turn to Max. This includes the six TOS-era films—The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, and The Undiscovered Country—and the four TNG-era films—Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis. Notably, this change also affects the 4K Director's Edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. These films are also being aired on HBO, repeating a similar shift that occurred in November 2022 when these movies moved from Paramount+ to HBO Max, only to return in July 2023.

The reason behind this shift seems to be the recent trend in the industry to move back to licensing, as stated by TrekMovie.com. This is not the first time Star Trek content has shifted platforms; Star Trek: Prodigy, for example, moved from Paramount+ to Netflix. The licensing deal for the Star Trek films is currently separate from ongoing talks about a potential merger between Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery.

John Orquiola, writing for ScreenRant, highlights the fan reaction to this development. Only the three Star Trek movies directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Chris Pine remain on Paramount+, causing dismay among fans. Many have expressed their frustration on social media platforms like Twitter, with some users advocating for the ownership of physical media as a more reliable way to access their favorite content. Paramount+'s move has been likened to Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to license DC movies to Netflix, suggesting a broader trend in the industry.

This change raises questions about the future of streaming and content accessibility. Paramount+ previously consolidated all 13 Star Trek feature films on its platform in November 2021, along with all five classic Star Trek TV shows by July 2022. The recent shift indicates a possible strategic reconsideration by Paramount+ in the face of industry trends and viewer preferences. 

As streaming services continue to evolve, so too does the landscape of content distribution and access, affecting how fans engage with their favorite franchises. In the meantime, the company will need to update its marketing, particularly the "Home of Star Trek" promo released during Comic-Con 2023, to reflect these changes.