Once again, it’s time to don my Dr. Robotnik mustache, transform into Megatron, and accelerate to warp speed, since we’re playing another round of “worst-case scenario” for a major entertainment company!
If you can’t tell by the references above, it’s Paramount’s turn in the limelight.
Frankly, the town has been assuming the worst-case scenario for Paramount Global — formerly ViacomCBS, and just Viacom and CBS before that — for years. Do you need me to tell you the problems facing them? Everyone wanted (and still wants) them to be sold for parts. My colleagues here at The Ankler believe some of this anger at Shari Redstone is that she dared to inherit her position and is thus deemed unqualified (you know, unlike the primogeniture of sons Lachlan Murdoch or Brian Roberts). But, hey, we’re not changing society here at The Ankler, just covering it.
Anyway, let’s consider these accomplishments:
Paramount has the top-viewed shows on broadcast, both sitcom (Young Sheldon) and procedural (NCIS).
Paramount has the far and away number one show on cable (Yellowstone).
They just got the top domestic grosser of the year with Top Gun: Maverick, while The Lost City and Sonic The Hedgehog 2, both won their opening weekends.
Dare I say Paramount+, usually the most denigrated of “major” movie studios-turned-conglomerates, is doing… well? They got Warren Buffett to invest, so he must see something!
So we’re going into bizarro flip mode today. Instead of the worst case, let’s imagine Paramount’s best-case scenario over the next five to 10 years. It involves a smart global distribution strategy, winning the kids’ content wars and figuring out how to transfer CBS viewers to Paramount+. Laying it out, it’s not an easy path, but it’s not inconceivable either.
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