Subj : Paramount Plus is officially a success, while Netflix risks it al
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Fri May 05 2023 12:15:03

Paramount Plus is officially a success, while Netflix risks it all over 
passwords

Date:
Fri, 05 May 2023 11:03:40 +0000

Description:
Paramount Plus hits new 60m subscriber milestone, as Netflix frets gambles on 
its customers with new policies.

FULL STORY
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 Paramount Plus is in ascendance, having topped 60 million subscribers for 
the very first time. 

Thats largely thanks to Star Trek  with the latest seasons of Star Trek: 
Picard and Strange New Worlds bringing Trekkies in their droves  as well as 
the Yellowstone spin-off show 1923 . 

With the help of NFL playoff broadcasts, and the option to bundle Showtimes 
TV library ( Yellowjackets , Billions , etc) into your subscription, 
Paramount Plus has managed to grow its number of subscribers in a pretty 
considerable way  even with the small price hike that came with the Showtime 
merger. 

The streaming service, formerly known as CBS All Access, has certainly had 
some catching up to do. Despite launching in 2014, the service has been 
outpaced by newer offerings such as Disney Plus , which launched with a level 
of cultural capital (Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars) few other platforms 
could dream of. And while Paramount Plus is still far behind Disneys 150+ 
million subscribers, its clearly carved out a space for itself in a highly 
competitive market. 

Its a different story over at Netflix , however  the once-dominant streaming 
service now seeing its market share attacked from all angles, as it 
desperately tries to balance its aim of making a profit with keeping its high 
subscriber count. Psst, what's the password? 

Netflix, like any streaming platform, tends to see its subscriber number 
fluctuate, depending on what shows are being released and when. We saw that 
number surge with the arrival of Squid Game , or Stranger Things season 4 , 
while the service lost almost a million subscribers in the middle of 2022. 
Its a rocky moment for the former king of streaming, then, and one thats 
pushing Netflix into some desperate measures  in particular, cracking down on 
password sharing . 

Netflix initially encouraged password sharing as a way to get the platform 
into more households, but the tide is clearly changing. After a number of 
trials in Canada, Latin America and elsewhere, Netflix is ready to roll out 
more stringent rules across the rest of its territories, limiting accounts to 
singular households after June 30. 

Netflix sees its trials as a success, when it comes to better monetizing its 
subscriber base, though it should expect some bitterness from families or 
networks of friends who can no longer share an account on the cheap  Netflix 
knows it will lose subscribers, but believes that they'll come back . 

Some recent improvements to the cheapest, ad-supported tier should help users 
sign on without too much more expense to themselves, though the sense of 
community around a Netflix account is being gradually eroded. That, along 
with the panicked actions of Shadow & Bone fans who dont trust Netflix not to 
cancel their favorite show and are gaming the system , doesnt paint a picture 
of a happy subscriber base. 

As alternative options among the best streaming services grow in popularity, 
its clear that Netflix can only risk the goodwill of its user base so much.



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/paramount-plus-is-officially-a-success-while-ne
tflix-risks-it-all-over-passwords


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