Paramount+ Is Getting Cues From David Zaslav

By Andrew Sanford | TV | March 29, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | TV | March 29, 2024 |

Streaming was supposed to make things more accessible. You stream what you want at home instead of driving to a store (video or otherwise). Not everything would be available, but a lot. Then, streaming services began making original shows. This made libraries more expansive and gave a home to shows and movies that felt like cornerstones of their streaming homes. As original content increased, other choices got slimmer.

The streamers began to make more and more shows and movies. Most don’t make it to home media. At least they seemed to remain available to stream on the services that created them. That began to change. Shows and movies have been removed from streamers, never to be seen again. One of the biggest offenders in this department is MAX. Now, Paramount+ is following in their footsteps.

Deadline is reporting that Paramount+ is purging ten original shows from its service. All are Nickelodeon shows, and all were released within the last five years. This reflects a February earnings call in which executives said Paramount would be, “rationalizing” content to improve the streamer’s “efficiency.”

The shows being removed include Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019-2022), Blue’s Clues & You! (2019), and Rugrats (2021). Permanently removing content is no longer a bug in streaming, it is a feature. Executives will continue to remove work to avoid paying residuals and look good to investors. What once felt like a promising future for shows and movies is turning into a nightmare.