ViacomCBS announces plans for a global premium streaming service, starting in Q1 2021 with Australia, Latin America, Nordic countries

ViacomCBS Networks International is creating a new global streaming service from next year

AUGUST 6, 2020 - Boy do I love being right.

Normally I do try and stay neutral with the news but please allow me to be shamelessly smug for just a couple minutes. Last April, I wrote a short “in case you missed it” article about Paramount+, Paramount Pictures’ subscription streaming-video-on-demand service operating in Northern Europe and Latin America. It hit the news last April when Viacom International Media Networks announced that the service, which had previously only been available in countries like Sweden, Norway and Poland, was expanding to Brazil and other Latin American countries. At the time, news of a Viacom and CBS merger was months away, merely a twinkle in Bob Bakish’s eye. But here’s what I said then: “Now, I’m not saying there are obvious strategic opportunities there for, say, a unified SVOD service encompassing CBS All Access in the United States and Paramount+ in Europe and Latin America...I’m not saying, I’m just sayin’.”

Fast forward to today. ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish, in the company’s second-quarter earnings call yesterday, unveiled plans to launch a premium streaming service internationally. In a statement, ViacomCBS clarified that “launch priority will be given in 2021 to fast-growing OTT markets where ViacomCBS has identified the opportunity to become a leader in paid-for streaming based on its competitive position. These include Australia, where its existing 10 All Access service will be rebranded and significantly expanded; Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil and Mexico; and, the Nordic countries.”

A piece from Variety explains further: “CBS All Access is already present in Australia and will simply relaunch as the new streamer. The same applies for the Paramount Plus service in the Nordics, Eastern Europe and Latin America.” I love being right.

What isn’t clear yet is what exactly the new service will look like, and whether it will provide a surefire outlet for future Star Trek offerings internationally. While ViacomCBS said that “CBS All Access originals will also premiere exclusively on the new service”, the Variety piece says they will “continue to license product selectively to third parties in international markets.” The Variety piece also quotes David Lynn, president and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International, who said, “We’re going to continue working with our colleagues in our distribution team to work out the right approach to allocate rights and windowing in those markets. [...] We have more than enough content to continue to do licensing.” It’s worth noting that licensing content to third parties was and continues to be a major strategy point for ViacomCBS, as announced with the merger last December.

It’s also worth noting that ViacomCBS was careful to point out that the new international subscription streaming service will “progress in parallel to” the rollout of their free streaming service, Pluto TV. Variety quotes Lynn again, saying, “Those two services I see as completely complementary to each other.”

So will we eventually get a more cohesive rollout of new Star Trek products, with less uncertainty around international releases outside of the United States? One can hope. But it certainly seems like ViacomCBS could be laying the groundwork for just such a future...I’m not saying, I’m just sayin’.