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Paramount Plus streaming upgrades laid out in leaked internal presentation. Paramount Plus streaming upgrades across short-form video, interactive sports and a new free-access tier are the company's chief product priorities for the current quarter, according to an internal presentation viewed by Business Insider and unveiled at a streaming town hall this week. The presentation, titled 'Product Priority Highlights,' details plans ranging from micro dramas designed to build daily viewing habits to a customisable multiview sports experience, and comes as Paramount Skydance Corporation pushes to close the subscriber gap with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney. Upgrades aimed at habit-building and ad revenue. The centrepiece of the platform push is a 'free front porch' feature that lets anyone browse the Paramount Plus app and sample content before subscribing, requiring only a free account. The dual aim is to attract new users who form habits and eventually pay, while also generating ad revenue from those who never do. Paramount Plus is also testing micro dramas, short episodes designed to build 'mobile daily habits at scale' and encourage viewers to open the app during brief windows in the day. A short-form video feed was added this spring, following similar moves by Netflix, Disney Plus, and Peacock. Vertical podcast clips are being added as part of the same short-form strategy. Streaming product EVP Dan Reich told staffers in May that the company is trying to 'get more of the video podcasts' and 'slice those up into segments for us to surface' in its short-form feed. Reich said podcast clips can boost 'long-form discovery' and 'viewing itself,' and described the volume of CBS News and CBS Sports content as 'a competitive advantage for NewsAnyway against companies like Netflix that don't have that volume of content.' On the sports side, Paramount Plus is strengthening its multiview feature with a customisable 'start card' for its quad-box layout, letting users choose which game's audio plays. Interactive elements, including real-time stats and in-stream highlights, have come online in recent weeks, with UFC, for which Paramount holds exclusive US rights, the first sport to receive the treatment. The presentation says these elements 'will expand to more sports.' The company is also expanding personalised artwork, meaning thumbnails for shows and movies, which it has long tested in A/B experiments. A person familiar with the initiative described it to Business Insider as an 'incremental' enhancement. Interactive ad formats, including thumbs-up and thumbs-down feedback buttons, are also in development, with the goal of 'intelligent ad selection' and 'lean-in formats' that generate richer audience signals. The case for Paramount Plus streaming upgrades, by the numbers. The urgency behind the Paramount Plus streaming upgrades is visible in the subscriber trajectory. Paramount Plus ended Q1 2026 with 79.6 million paying subscribers, adding 700,000 in the quarter, which fell short of analysts' target of 1 million new additions, according to Deadline. The same filing shows direct-to-consumer revenue rose 11% year-over-year to $2.4 billion in Q1 2026, as reported in Paramount's Q1 2026 SEC earnings exhibit. Q2 2026 showed a sharper recovery. Paramount Plus added 2 million subscribers in the quarter, ahead of expectations, and recorded its lowest churn quarter since launch, according to Variety. Streaming revenue rose 9% to $2.5 billion, with Paramount Plus revenue specifically up 16%. Overall company revenue rose 1% to $6.91 billion, though TV operations revenue fell 9% to $3.12 billion and ad revenue fell 14%. Paramount Skydance Corporation, the combined entity that emerged when the Ellison family completed their acquisition of Paramount Global on August 7, 2025, has said a merger with Warner Bros. Discovery would push its combined streaming base past 200 million customers. That deal, described by CEO David Ellison as a path to rapid scale for the 114-year-old media company, is currently on hold. Twelve state attorneys general filed suit in the Northern District of California to block what the California Attorney General describes as a $110 billion acquisition. The complaint argues the deal would leave four major film distributors controlling more than 85% of all wide-release films and combines two of Hollywood's five major studios. A Harvard Law School analysis of the case cites the deal value as $111 billion; the California AG complaint is the primary government document and puts the figure at $110 billion. Following the lawsuit, Paramount voluntarily agreed to postpone the merger until June 2027, or until the court rules, whichever comes first. With that timeline extended, the product roadmap unveiled this week is effectively Paramount's answer to the wait: grow the base, deepen engagement, and arrive at any eventual combination from a stronger position. Whether the Q2 subscriber rebound holds through the second half of 2026 will be the first real test of that strategy.

WildBrain CPLG opens first office in Japan and welcomes Koichi Yamamoto as Commercial Director. by Billy Langsworthy Published 11.08.26 "By combining local market insight with WildBrain CPLG's global capabilities, we have a unique opportunity to drive impactful collaborations across multiple categories and deliver long-term value for partners," said Yamamoto. WildBrain CPLG has opened its first-ever office in Japan. As part of the move, Koichi Yamamoto has joined WildBrain CPLG as Commercial Director for Japan. Yamamoto joins from Paramount Global Japan K.K., where he served as Head of Consumer Products for more than four years, and brings further experience from Hasbro, Mattel and United Media. Yamamoto reports to Soojin Ahn, Regional Director, South Korea and Japan, WildBrain CPLG, who is spearheading the agency's expansion across the APAC territories, under the leadership of Marie Kopp, VP APAC. "Japan represents a highly strategic market for WildBrain CPLG, with significant opportunities to grow our brand portfolio and deepen partnerships," said Maarten Weck, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director at WildBrain CPLG. "Opening a dedicated office in Tokyo marks an important step in our Asia-Pacific expansion, enabling us to build a strong, locally rooted presence and deliver tailored, market-specific strategies for our partners. With Koichi and Soojin's leadership and expertise, we are well positioned to unlock new opportunities and accelerate growth across the region." Marie Kopp, VP, APAC at WildBrain CPLG added: "Japan is one of the world's most influential and unique licensing markets, offering exceptional opportunities for brand and retail partnerships. Brands Untapped is committed to building a strong local presence that combines deep market expertise with the strength of its global network. "I'm delighted to welcome Koichi to the team and look forward to working closely with him and Soojin to build our presence in Japan, strengthen local partnerships and drive the next phase of growth in this exciting market." Koichi Yamamoto, Commercial Director, Japan at WildBrain CPLG said: "WildBrain CPLG has an outstanding portfolio of globally recognised brands and a strong track record of building meaningful partnerships. I'm pleased to join the team at such a pivotal moment and to lead the business in Japan. "By combining local market insight with WildBrain CPLG's global capabilities, we have a unique opportunity to drive impactful collaborations across multiple categories and deliver long-term value for partners." WildBrain CPLG will continue to work closely with its longstanding sub-agent in the market for Teletubbies, Tohoku Shinsha Co., Ltd.