Paramount+ Will Officially Launch March 4

ViacomCBS’ rebranded streaming service Paramount+ will launch March 4, 2021, the company announced this morning. The highly anticipated streaming service, which is set to replace CBS All Access, will have its initial debut in the United States and Latin America, followed by a rollout in the Nordics on March 25 and Australia in mid-2021.

In Canada, existing service CBS All Access will be rebranded to Paramount+ on March 4, with an expanded offering debuting later this year.

The recently-merged ViacomCBS first announced that CBS All Access would be rebranded as Paramount+ in September 2020. At the time, the conglomerate revealed that Paramount+ will include content from Comedy Central, CBS, BET, Nickelodeon, Paramount, and other ViacomCBS brands, as well as new original series, live sports, and breaking news.

In terms of original series — a must-have for any new entry into the Streaming Wars — Paramount+ has already ordered six projects that will be released in the months ahead. These new series include:

• The Offer, a scripted limited event series about the making of The Godfather
• Lioness, a spy drama created by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone)
• Behind the Music – The Top 40, a reimagining of MTV’s Behind the Music that provides an intimate look at the 40 biggest artists of all time
• The Real Criminal Minds, a true crime docuseries based on the long-running CBS drama
• The Game, a revival of the classic BET series
• iCarly reboot starring Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor, and Nathan Kress

These six projects join previously-announced original Kamp Koral, an animated series based on beloved children’s classic SpongeBob SquarePants. Nickelodeon Animation Studio released its first Kamp Koral preview clip last week, but it has not yet set a premiere date. However, now that we know the Paramount+ launch date, it’s likely that Kamp Koral will debut on or shortly after March 4.

ViacomCBS has not yet announced pricing information for Paramount+ (for reference, CBS All Access costs $5.99/month for an ad-supported plan or $9.99/month for ad-free streaming), but it’s likely that that information will be revealed in the weeks ahead. The company plans to hold an investor event on Wednesday, February 24, at which it will reveal Q42020 and full-year financial results and “deliver a comprehensive overview of the company’s streaming strategy” as it relates to Paramount+, Pluto TV, and Showtime.