At a recent press event ViacomCBS announced a few more details as to how it will change the way it approaches streaming. CEO Bob Bakish said that the company that owns CBS and networks like Comedy Central, MTV, BET and Smithsonian will work in programming from those cable brands into CBS ALL Access this summer as well as original content from those brands and others in its portfolio. More so, Pluto TV the free streaming option that was acquired by CBS upon merging with Viacom will be getting more content from its network assets. There were no details as to how that would work specifically. But considering the number of Viacom based channels on Pluto TV featuring themed channels and even dedicated show based channels like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Cribs based channels, we imagine more content from CBS’s vault will find its way onto Pluto TV.
Ad-supported free streaming platforms or AVOD, seem to be becoming all the rage in the TV business. Pluto began as a start up before being picked up by Viacom, Tubi TV recently was acquired by Fox and XUMO is now property of Comcast. The services provide companies with large libraries a chance to reel in profits from content in the same way they can with syndication but keep it all in house. This is exactly what you should expect to see with Pluto TV when it comes to CBS.
Pluto TV will also be an avenue to sign up for subscription services. The app will eventually have a sign up option on screen that will serve as a portal to CBS ALL Access or the upcoming rebranded service that Viacom CBS has planned for fall. While Pluto TV will still be free it could be used as a way to advertise paid services in house. I would expect to see more promotion of CBS ALL Access programming like its recent inclusion of Picard during the launch of the series.
More is coming with CBS and Pluto as things move forward and we will do our best to stay on top of it.
