More mergers in the streaming world could lead to better deals for consumers.
By Gary Guthrie
Original article published at: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/paramount-ups-the-ante-in-the-streaming-wars-020223.html
The wave machine behind streaming services joining forces might be starting up again. Paramount+ and Showtime have announced that they’re merging their offerings later this year to try and match wits with other bundlers like Disney+.
According to reports, Paramount hopes the difference maker is that Paramount+ will become the first to integrate streaming and linear content in one place – something that it can easily pull off given its ownership of CBS-TV and all the live content it can add to the Paramount and Showtime libraries.
Mergers often reduce competition and lead to higher prices but industry experts say streaming may be a different animal, at least at this point. Companies are doing everything they can to increase subscribers.
While no price points have been published, it’s likely that viewers will get a much better deal than what they’re currently paying for Paramount+ and Showtime separately. At the moment, Paramount+ does offer an add-on that includes Showtime, but typically mergers of this kind usually lower monthly fees at least a couple of bucks.
Mergers = relief
If you subscribe to any streaming service, you’re probably stressed to the max with all the little dings on your credit card statement and all the subscription options these services offer. One media expert says that it’s all too much and that there’s yet to be any platform that offers a clear value and unique proposition to the consumer.
“The recent news of the Paramount + and Showtime merger consolidating their business proves that the market has been saturated for far too long,” Dan Goman, CEO of Ateliere, told ConsumerAffairs.
“Most industry insiders and analysts believe this is a positive step required to ensure the company is streamlined and positioned for success under its new ‘streaming first’ initiative. With stiff financial and competitive pressures, being laser focused is critical to the success of the company.”
Goman thinks consumers will see more of this – and Paramount is in a good place to up the ante further. Paramount owns the now-free service Pluto, which has all of the classic fodder that CBS once owned, such as “FBI” and “NCIS.” Goman called Pluto an “obvious” opportunity for extending Paramount’s growth.
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