Paramount+, the rebranded streaming service that went live last March, had its “most successful week ever” with more than 1 million new subscribers, according to ViacomCBS.
The company has been in heavy promo mode for the service, especially with the industry fixated on streaming, but it has declined to break out its numbers from the rest of the overall portfolio. ViacomCBS earlier this month reported total streaming subscribers of 47 million around the world, but that tally includes Showtime as well as niche services BET+ and Noggin.
The press release alludes to a “new record for total signups since its rebrand” but does not provide that number. Ditto with most hours streamed and highest level of subscriber engagement. Both metrics set records, per the company, but neither number was divulged. Another factor that is in play is a recent promotion cutting in half the price of the bundle with Paramount+ and Showtime’s OTT service. ViacomCBS also set a distribution deal with T-Mobile giving a year of Paramount+ to its subscribers at no charge.
Netflix yesterday committed to publishing updated top 10 lists of both English and non-English film and series titles. It is also now using total hours of viewing as its main measurement, a shift from a prior lens that counted two minutes of viewing as an official view. The streaming leader is now disseminating nearly 100% of any of the first-party data that exists on streaming, and no scaled third party like Nielsen exists in streaming. Newer rivals have avoided disclosing viewership numbers, though many have reported quarterly subscriber or active user totals.
ViacomCBS credited the uptick through last Sunday to Clifford the Big Red Dog , which opened day-and-date in theaters and on Paramount+ last Wednesday, as well as Mayor of Kingstown. They are the most-watched original film and scripted original drama in the service’s history, respectively.
Other contributors included CBS fare like Adele One Night Only, 60 Minutes and NFL football. (The NFL week featured the second-highest totals of streaming minutes and unique viewers on Paramount+, ViacomCBS said.) Paramount+ originals Seal Team, The Game and The Challenge: All Stars also were key drivers, the company said.
“This week we ushered in a mix of must-see originals, a blockbuster family film and top-tier sports that appealed to the whole household. This is a content strategy we will continue to lean into as we invest in scaling Paramount+,” said Tom Ryan, CEO of ViacomCBS Streaming.