What Paramount+ Means for Netflix

CBS All Access is getting a refreshed name and look in 2021 as it rebrands to Paramount+ but will this have any positive or negative impact on Netflix and specifically the content on Netflix. Let’s take a look at some of the implications below.

Before we get into the gritty details, fundamentally, Paramount+ won’t affect Netflix’s library too much. In most cases, ViacomCBS began shifting some of its content from Netflix a number of years ago and that’ll just continue on a slow trend.

We won’t go too in-depth into the business side as we want to keep this article specifically about content and how it impacts Netflix’s library. You can, however, find a lot of great insight and analysis from friend and writer of What’s on Netflix, the Entertainment Strategy Guy who has looked at ViacomCBS’s competitive advantage and recently covered the Apple/CBS packaged deal that’s due to arrive soon too.

What will happen to CBS titles on Netflix?

So what will the effects be on the Netflix US library with regards to CBS titles? Ultimately not much in all honesty.

For several years now, Netflix has been losing or no longer receiving updates of some of CBS’s biggest shows. This includes NCIS and Criminal Minds which are stuck on seasons that premiered two years ago.

We’ve also seen a number of CBS shows depart including Hawaii Five-0 and the old Charmed series is due to depart on October although not for Paramount+ but Peacock.

While we suspect CBS will license less to Netflix, that hasn’t quite fully happened with two CBS primetime shows coming to Netflix US later in 2020. This includes Evil season 1 and The Unicorn season 1 that are both due to hit Netflix on October 1st.

Star Trek could fully vacate Netflix

Many have dubbed CBS All Access the Star Trek streaming platform and we suspect that will only grow once some of the many Star Trek titles come up for renewal on Netflix which should be over the next few years.

The first Star Trek title to depart from Netflix was back in December 2019 with the removal of Star Trek: The Animated Series.

The current roster of Star Trek titles on Netflix still are:

• Star Trek
• Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
• Star Trek: Voyager
• Star Trek: Enterprise

Internationally, of course, Netflix still carries Star Trek: Discovery which is getting weekly episodes starting later this year for season 3.

Will Netflix lose Paramount movies?

This is unclear still as it was reported recently that Netflix could be not only retaining Paramount movies in the future via licensing but also pick up the coveted pay-1 window titles.

Should Netflix pick this up, that’d mean it’d get Paramount movies around 6-9 months after their theatrical release before leaving a year and a half later.

We could see less Paramount movies arrive on Netflix overall though if ViacomCBS decides to pull back some of its content from streamers in favor of Paramount+ though. Although, for most, this won’t be noticeable.

What will happen to the CBS titles from The CW?

Nothing will change here from the changes made in 2019. As you may know, The CW is a joint venture between Warner Brothers and ViacomCBS. The output deal with The CW and Netflix ceased last year and each show now gets shopped individually.

With that said, for the most part, shows produced by CBS head to CBS All Access and WB titles on The CW head for HBO Max.

Any legacy series (titles that first released before 2019) will still head to Netflix under the old output deal so that includes Charmed for example.

What will happen to Nickelodeon titles on Netflix?

Netflix still has a number of Nick titles on Netflix plus you may remember Netflix has an output deal with Nickelodeon where exclusive Nick titles will hit Netflix including exclusive Spongebob content.

None of that is due to change although we could see ViacomCBS license less to Netflix from the back catalog and any titles on Netflix currently be removed.

That’s all we know for the moment. Perhaps there’s something we overlooked – let us know in the comments down below.