ViacomCBS will launch its as-yet-unnamed new global video streaming service to compete with Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video and others internationally in early 2021 although South Africa and Africa are not included in the initial launch plans.
Similar to Walt Disney Company's decision to skip South Africa and Africa with the initial roll-out of its Disney+ subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service which isn't available on the continent yet, ViacomCBS will roll out in early-2021 starting in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico), Australia and the Nordic countries first.
ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) revealed more in an investors' presentation about its global new video streaming plans on Thursday during its latest quarterly earnings call with investors.
It's CBS All Access streaming service in the United States is already available in Australia - which will relaunch under the new brand, and similarly, Paramount+ is already available in parts of South America and Eastern Europe and will also just switch over.
New upcoming series like the Halo science-fiction drama based on the video game, will be placed on this new streaming service, similar to what Disney has done with Star Wars The Mandalorian on Disney+.
A clue as to part of the reason why VCNI will not initially launch in South Africa and in sub-Saharan Africa comes from VCNI that said in countries where its streamer will launch, it will honour existing licensing and distribution deals with broadcasters and pay-TV operators.
A drama series like Billions will for instance not be available on the streamer in countries like Australia. Similarly, in South Africa, a lot of content - from Billions and The Good Fight acquired by MultiChoice and M-Net (DStv 101) simply won't be available, which would make for a truncated offering and user experience if such a service were to launch in South Africa.
VCNI says that its global video streamer will target "audiences of all ages with a competitively priced and super-sized selection of 'must-see' exclusives, premieres and box sets from ViacomCBS’ much-loved entertainment brands".
Pierluigi Gazzolo, president, streaming for VCNI, says "With more than 200 million new streaming subscriptions due to come online internationally by 2025, we're very confident we can build a meaningful subscriber base in the next few years".
"ViacomCBS is one of a very small handful of elite content companies with broad enough content pipelines and deep enough content libraries to lead in all segments of the video entertainment market."
