Network 10’s streaming platform journey started in December 2018 when it launched 10 All Access. This week that service transforms into Paramount+, a more robust service that is expected to be a stronger competitor to market leaders like Netflix and Stan.
To note the arrival of Paramount+, Mediaweek is lifting the lid on the new service.
Yesterday we featured the two leaders of ViacomCBS in Australia – Beverley McGarvey, EVP and chief content officer, ViacomCBS ANZ and Jarrod Villani, EVP and chief operating and commercial officer of ViacomCBS ANZ.
Today Mediaweek focuses on the content with Daniel Monaghan, SVP content & programming 10 ViacomCBS.
Despite entering a crowded market of streaming platforms in Australia, Monaghan said that one thing that will set this new product apart will be the content on offer.
“It is Paramount, one of the most recognised entertainment brands in film and television in the world. At ViacomCBS we house some of the biggest brand offerings in the world for everyone in the family, from Showtime which is premium scripted to MTV which is guilty pleasure reality TV viewing, and the Nickelodeon brand which is one of the best kids content providers in the world. We are going to have all the CBS content as well and now the Paramount+ originals and Paramount films.
“If you tie that in with the local originals that we will offer straight away from the service what stands out is the breadth of content that appeals to everyone in the family.”
Daniel Monaghan
Existing Content Deals
When asked about the existing content deals that the ViacomCBS content has with established platforms, Monaghan said that Paramount+ will host any new shows released, and also the complete back catalogue for completed shows, but a show like Billions won’t be on the platform till it finishes its complete series release on Stan.
“The shows that are on other platforms will continue on their current deal, there is not too many of them left, but those that are still running will continue on those platforms but everything new will come straight to P+ in that market.”
What the launch catalogue will look like
On the launch date of Paramount+, the platform will have shows such as Aussie drama Five Bedrooms, feature film Infinite, and revival sitcom iCarly as well as new and exclusive series including, Two Weeks To Live, Leonardo, Anne Boleyn, Coyote, The Bite, Everyone Is Doing Great, Monsterland, Flatbush Misdemeanours, Cinema Toast, Nancy Drew and Evil, In The Dark, as well as premiere kids’ content Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years and Rugrats.
Dexter: New Blood will also be coming to Paramount+ in the spring. When asked what the approach will be for content on launch, Monaghan said that while a vast library will be available from the start some items will continue to be added in the coming months.
“We are going to have a huge offering on August 11, but we are also going to drop content every week and all year.”
What will be the main draws to the platform?
Monaghan pointed to shows like Two Weeks to Live, Leonardo, and Everyone Is Doing Great as some of the big-ticket items that will generate word of mouth, with more to follow.
“What will happen at launch I think is that Two Weeks to Live will be really strong. Once we get into that first run Showtime content we have American Rust with Jeff Daniels which looks incredible and then later in the year Dexter which won’t so much be word of mouth, rather people just thirsting for it.
“We have another good one called Yellow Jackets in a couple of months time with Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci. I’m calling it a cross between Lord of the Flies and Alive. I haven’t seen too much more than the first episode, but it is brilliant.”
Two Weeks to Live
Will 10 properties be moved behind a paywall?
One of the main drawcards to Paramount+ will be the new season of Five Bedrooms which aired its first season on Channel 10. With this popular free-to-air property going behind a paywall, Monaghan said that each show will be assigned to the platform that they think fits best.
“Now that we have got P+, 10, and 10 Play, we want to make sure that we are giving each of our shows the opportunity to best serve everyone. Five Bedrooms is the first case, it is not to say everything will move behind a paywall, I think we will just take it case by case.
“We are certainly commissioning shows specifically for P+ as well as for 10 so there will be a separation there.
“You will find a huge bulk of the content from 10 will end up on Paramount+, it might not happen the other way around but sometimes it will.”
With productions affected around the world, Monaghan said that one reason why Five Bedrooms is on Paramount+ is the desire to give the platform a local flavour right off the bat.
“Five Bedrooms is such a loved brand, and it plays on Peacock in the US and does really well and we wanted to make sure we had something really desired right from the get-go in a local form until we drop Spreadsheet, our second local original, in a couple of months time.”
Australian Paramount+ Originals
Paramount+ has already announced several Australian originals such as Spreadsheet, Last King of The Cross, and 6 Festivals and Monaghan said that there is more on the way.
“We understand it isn’t just those powerful overseas brands, but that we need to have a real local flavour and to showcase our talent in storytelling.
“I won’t put a number on this year, but we will ramp it up for next year where we are actively in the market. And we have got several shows in development for 2022 as well as the ones we have already commissioned. We should have quite a breadth of content all the way through the year.”
Spreadsheet
How do you decide between Channel 10 content and Paramount+ content?
Monaghan said that a common question is how will the ViacomCBS ANZ team decide what is a fit for 10 and what is a fit for Paramount+. He said that they are quite different platforms with different needs.
“Until you hear the pitch and until you hear the story you don’t know. But they are quite different platforms. 10 is a very broad commercial platform designed to appeal to a broader audience. We can get quite niche and specific with Paramount+, and maybe a bit narrower in its appeal in age or demographic.
“On 10 you are trying to please a much broader audience, on P+ you have the luxury of targeting different people with different projects.”