Paramount Streaming
 | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Division |
| Industry |
|
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Tom Ryan (PresidentandCEO) |
| Brands | |
| Parent | CBS Corporation(2005–2019) Paramount Global[a](2019–present) |
| Website | paramount /streaming |
| Footnotes / references [1] | |
Paramount Streaming(formerly CBS Digital Media,CBS Interactive,andViacomCBS Streaming) is a division ofParamount Globalthat oversees the company'svideo streamingtechnology anddirect-to-consumerservices; includingPluto TVandParamount+.It was founded in 2005, Tom Ryan is President and CEO.[2]
History[edit]
As CBS Interactive[edit]
On May 30, 2007, CBS Interactive acquiredLast.fmfor £140 million (US$280 million).[3]
On June 30, 2008,CNET Networkswas acquired by CBS and the assets were merged into CBS Interactive, includingMetacritic,GameSpot,TV,andMovietome.[4]
On March 15, 2012, it was announced that CBS Interactive acquiredvideo game-based websiteGiant Bombandcomic book-based websiteComic VinefromWhiskey Media,who sold off their other remaining websites toBermanBraun.This occasion marked the return ofvideo game journalistJeff Gerstmannto the CBS Interactive division of video game websites, which includesGameSpotandGameFAQs,and has Gerstmann once again working directly with some of his former peers at GameSpot within the same building at the CBS Interactive headquarters.[5][6]
On April 17, 2012, it was announced thatMajor League Gamingand CBS Interactive would be entering a partnership alongsideTwitchto be the only exclusive online broadcaster of their Pro Circuit competitions, as well as for advertising representation.[7][8]
CBS Corp./Viacom re-merger and afterwards[edit]
On November 4, 2019,Varietyreported thatJim Lanzonewould be leaving the company after 9 years to become an executive in residence atBenchmark Capitaland would be succeeded by Marc DeBevoise.[9]
CBS Interactive's parentCBS Corporationmerged with sister companyViacomon December 4, 2019, formingViacomCBS.
On September 14, 2020, it was announced thatRed Ventureswould acquire the "CNET Media Group" from ViacomCBS for $500 million, which was finalized on October 30, 2020.[10][11][12]
After the divestment of the "CNET Media Group", CBS Interactive was dissolved after an organizational restructuring and renamedViacomCBS Streamingin order to accelerateViacomCBS'direct-to-consumer streaming strategies.[1]
On March 4, 2021, ViacomCBS Streaming renamed CBS All Access toParamount+,with additional streaming content and rebranding taking place at that time.[13]
In late 2021,Comcastand ViacomCBS announced a partnership to launch a new streaming service in more than 20 European territories.SkyShowtimewould replace already existing Paramount+ in the Nordics, Hungary, and Poland while launching a fully new service in Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Kosovo, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
ViacomCBS Streaming was renamed asParamount Streaming,in-line with the rebranding of parent company ViacomCBS to Paramount Global in February 2022.[14]
Properties[edit]
Some of the digital media properties under Paramount Streaming are
- Paramount+
- Pluto TV
- CBS (streaming service)
- Mixible
- SkyShowtime(50%, joint-venturestreamingservice owned and operated byComcast(throughSky Group) andParamount Global(throughShowtime Networks)
- Philo(joint venture withA&E Networks,AMC Networks,andWarner Bros. Discovery)
Divested/defunct[edit]
When the company was known as CBS Interactive, it owned several websites, most of which were sold toRed Venturesin 2020. Its former websites are:BNET,Chowhound,CNET,Comic Vine,Download,GameFAQs,GameRankings,GameSpot,Giant Bomb,Metacritic,MetroLyrics,onGamers,Radio,TechRepublic,TV,TVGuide,UrbanBabyandZDNet.[10]
Notes[edit]
- ^Known as ViacomCBS from 2019-2022
References[edit]
- ^abSpangler, Todd (October 20, 2020)."ViacomCBS Streaming Shake-Up: Pluto TV's Tom Ryan to Head New Global Division, Marc DeBevoise Steps Down".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on March 3, 2021.RetrievedMarch 18,2021.
- ^Spangler, Todd (April 1, 2024)."Paramount Streaming CEO Tom Ryan on Pluto TV Turning 10, What's Next for Paramount+ and More: Streaming Biz Is 'Underestimated by the Market'".Variety.RetrievedJuly 11,2024.
- ^"Music site Last.fm bought by CBS".BBC News.May 30, 2007.Archivedfrom the original on May 19, 2018.RetrievedApril 28,2010.
- ^"CBS CORPORATION COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF CNET NETWORKS; MERGES OPERATIONS INTO NEW, EXPANDED CBS INTERACTIVE BUSINESS UNIT".CBS Corporation. June 30, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon August 29, 2008.RetrievedJune 30,2008.
- ^Giant Bomb, Comic Vine join CBS InteractiveArchivedMarch 17, 2012, at theWayback MachineGameSpot
- ^Kara Swisher."BermanBraun Buys Most of Shelby Bonnie's Whiskey Media".AllThingsD.Archivedfrom the original on March 15, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 2,2015.
- ^"Major League Gaming Partners with CBS Interactive".Major League Gaming.Archived fromthe originalon April 19, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 2,2015.
- ^Alex Wilhelm (April 17, 2012)."CBS Takes Esports Big with Twitch.tv and MLG".The Next Web.Archivedfrom the original on November 24, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 2,2015.
- ^Littleton, Cynthia (November 4, 2019)."Marc DeBevoise Named CEO of CBS Interactive as Jim Lanzone Joins Benchmark Capital".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2020.RetrievedNovember 4,2019.
- ^abLunden, Ingrid (September 14, 2020)."Red Ventures acquires CNET Media Group from ViacomCBS for $500M".TechCrunch.Archivedfrom the original on February 28, 2021.RetrievedMarch 22,2021.
- ^Spangler, Todd (September 14, 2020)."ViacomCBS Reaches Deal to Sell CNET for $500 Million to Marketing Firm Red Ventures".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on July 19, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 14,2020.
- ^"Red Ventures Announces Closing of Acquisition of CNET Media Group".PR Newswire.October 30, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on June 8, 2021.RetrievedNovember 6,2020.
- ^Casey, Henry T. (March 5, 2021)."Paramount Plus price, apps, free trial, shows, movies and what you need to know".Tom's Guide.Archivedfrom the original on June 24, 2021.RetrievedMarch 14,2021.
- ^"VIACOMCBS UNVEILS NEW COMPANY NAME, GLOBAL CONTENT SLATE AND INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION PLANS FOR PARAMOUNT+ AT INVESTOR EVENT".Paramount Global.February 15, 2022.Archivedfrom the original on February 16, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 16,2022.