Bob Bakish Outlines ‘Major Changes’ for CBS All Access Rebrand This Summer

A heavy dose of ViacomCBS programming, along with more sports, will hit the revamped streaming service

Bob Bakish
Photo credit: Getty Images

ViacomCBS chief Bob Bakish on Thursday shared details on “major changes” coming to CBS All Access this summer, as the streaming service prepares to undergo a full rebrand and relaunch under a new name.

Bakish, on the company’s Q1 earnings call, said the revamped CBS All Access will include an expanded slate of ViacomCBS programming, including content from Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Smithsonian, MTV, BET and Paramount. “Our biggest franchises will be key to this strategy,” Bakish said.

The updated service will also include national and local news from more than 200 CBS affiliates, live and on-demand; more sports are coming as well, with the NFL, NCAA, and PGA, among other leagues and events, available to stream.

“We are accelerating our plans for an expanded subscription service, building off our CBS All Access platform, with major changes coming this summer as we track towards the rebrand and relaunch of a transformed property,” Bakish said. “We believe audiences want their entertainment on-demand, and their news, sports and events live. And with our expanded offering, we will be the service that gives them what they want, how they want it, all in one place and at a great value.”

CBS All Access currently runs customers $5.99 per month for ad-supported streaming and $9.99 for ad-free streaming. The service, together with Showtime’s streaming subscribers, hit 13.5 million customers by the end of Q1, up big from the approximately 8 million the two combined for at the same time last year.

At the same time on Thursday, Bakish said the company would be launching a “broad” international streaming service within the next year.

Bakish and ViacomCBS offered more details on the company’s overall streaming growth on Thursday as well; Pluto TV, the free-streaming service it purchased last year for $340 million, saw domestic monthly active users hit 24 million, increasing 55% year-over-year. Overall, domestic streaming and digital video revenue climbed 51% since last year to $471 million.

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