Paramount+

Overview

Paramount+ is Paramount Global's flagship streaming platform, launched in March 2021 as a rebrand of CBS All Access. The service distributes content from Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS, and other Paramount Global brands to subscribers across the United States and internationally. Paramount+ serves as the primary streaming home for Paramount Pictures' theatrical output following the theatrical window and for original productions commissioned specifically for the platform.

The platform operates in a competitive streaming market alongside Netflix, Disney+, Max, Peacock, and Prime Video, differentiating through its Paramount Pictures library, its sports rights (particularly NFL and international football through its SkyShowtime partnership in Europe), and its Nickelodeon and children's content brands. Paramount+ reported approximately 60 million subscribers globally as of 2024.

Paramount+ With Showtime

Paramount Global merged Paramount+ with Showtime in 2023, creating a combined streaming service called Paramount+ with Showtime that includes Showtime's premium prestige drama alongside Paramount's broader content library. This merger gave Paramount+ a prestige drama tier -- Showtime's brand is associated with adult-oriented, critically acclaimed series -- that strengthens the platform's appeal to audiences seeking quality non-franchise content.

For filmmakers and producers working with Showtime on original content, the Showtime brand distribution pathway now routes through Paramount+ with Showtime rather than through a separate Showtime platform.

Theatrical Window

Paramount Pictures films move to Paramount+ following their theatrical window under the studio's Pay 1 arrangement with the platform. The theatrical-to-streaming window for Paramount films currently sits at approximately 45 days for major releases, one of the shorter windows in the major studio ecosystem. This compressed window affects the revenue dynamics for Paramount theatrical films, concentrating box office revenue into a shorter theatrical window before streaming availability.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Paramount+ is not directly accessible to independent filmmakers outside of Paramount Global's distribution pipeline and original content commission process. The platform's content strategy focuses on owned studio output and commissioned originals rather than broad independent acquisitions.

For documentary filmmakers, Paramount+ does commission and acquire documentary content through its original programming team, providing a pathway for documentary productions targeting the platform. The Showtime brand's prestige association may make Paramount+ with Showtime a realistic target for high-profile documentary projects.

International Distribution: SkyShowtime

In Europe, Paramount Global operates SkyShowtime, a joint venture streaming platform with Comcast's Sky, distributing Paramount+ and Peacock content to audiences in the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Poland, and other Central and Eastern European territories. SkyShowtime's operation in these markets provides an international distribution pathway for Paramount's content in territories where Paramount+ does not operate independently.

See Also

For Paramount Pictures' theatrical distribution, see the Paramount Pictures entry in this directory. For how major studio streaming windows affect independent film distribution economics, see Streaming vs Theatrical Revenue.