Paramount has initiated a substantial downsizing of several more of its cable channel websites, following the recent closure of the MTV News site earlier this week. This move is seen as a potential cost-cutting measure by the company.
By Wednesday afternoon, visitors to websites for Paramount Network (home to Yellowstone), Comedy Central, CMT, and TV Land were redirected to Paramount+’s streaming platform. This follows Monday’s removal of MTVnews.com, erasing two decades of online stories, as Paramount continues consolidating its digital content under its streaming service.
Visitors to Comedy Central sites are greeted with a pop-up message stating, “While episodes of most Comedy Central series are no longer available on this website, you can watch Comedy Central through your TV provider. You can also sign up for Paramount+ to watch many seasons of Comedy Central shows.” Similar notices appear across CMT, Paramount Network, TV Land, and MTV sites.
Paramount said in a statement, “As part of broader website changes across Paramount, we have introduced more streamlined versions of our sites, driving fans to Paramount+ to watch their favorite shows.”
According to LateNighter, the recent cleanup of the Comedy Central website has resulted in the removal of a vast archive of content from popular late-night shows like The Daily Show, as well as clips from Key & Peele, South Park, and Workaholics, among others. Although some of this content can still be found on YouTube, it is not as readily searchable or accessible as it was on the network’s site. (For example, despite The Daily show’s history spanning over 20 years, the oldest video on The Daily Show’s YouTube channel dates back to 2016.)
Notably, only the two most recent seasons of The Daily Show are available on Paramount+. The platform also has South Park specials and the 1999 feature film Bigger, Longer and Uncut. However, the main streaming destination for South Park remains Max. Paramount+ also features complete collections of Key & Peele and Workaholics for subscribers to enjoy.
Furthermore, Paramount+ announced upcoming price increases for its subscription plans, effective August 20 for new customers and later for existing subscribers. The essential plan will rise to $7.99 per month from $5.99, while the plan including Showtime will increase by $1 to $12.99 per month.