The new CEO is already talking about massive cuts to linear TV and a change in strategy to Paramount+. See Nielsen’s chart below, Paramount+ only got 1.2% of TV watching in May 2024.

Wonder what the next step is for Paramount+. Completely merging with another streamer could be a good move, but perhaps more radical I wonder if there could be a movement to get several streamers (Disney+ and Hulu/Paramount+/Max/Peacock) to combine into one bundle and only be offered together, exactly like cable. People joke about current bundles being a return to cable, but as long as you can get the streamers individually it’s nothing like cable.

On an unrelated note, while I’m not sure if this deal is a good thing, I am glad that the Sony/Apollo deal didn’t go through, because the last thing Hollywood needs is two major studios merging again.