Paramount+ Removing Star Trek: Prodigy And Grease Prequel As Hollywood's Worst Trend Continues
Paramount is now joining the likes of Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney by removing shows from its flagship streaming service. Paramount+, much like Max and Disney+, is set to lose four shows in the form of "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies," "Star Trek: Prodigy," "Queen of the Universe," and "The Game." The company will take a tax write-off for the shows instead. Whether or not the shows will find a new home remains up in the air but, for now, their time is over.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a planned second season for "Rise of the Pink Ladies" has been scrapped, as has "Star Trek: Prodigy" season 2. All four shows will begin to be removed from Paramount+ next week. There is no word on how much of a tax write-off the shows will provide, but that information is expected in the company's upcoming earnings call. A spokesperson for Paramount+ had the following to say about it:
"As we prepare to combine Paramount+ and Showtime later this month in the U.S., we are refining our content offering to deliver the best streaming experience for subscribers. This is consistent with our content strategy since launch and across our business, which ensures we make smart, efficient choices, informed by audience data and insights. We are removing select programming as we look to optimize Showtime's robust slate of premium originals."
It was confirmed earlier this year that Paramount+ and Showtime were set to merge, bringing Paramount's streaming offerings under the same umbrella. This will, presumably, give them a better edge in the streaming wars, which are getting nastier by the day. In a similar development, Disney+ removed quite a few movies and TV shows recently, leaving their futures uncertain. Former Max shows, meanwhile, have found homes on free ad-supported streamers like Roku and Tubi.
A brutal trend that isn't going to stop
This all comes as major streaming services are fighting to become profitable. Netflix may have ushered in the streaming revolution, but it's incredibly expensive to amass a library of titles to lure in subscribers, and it takes years to reach profitability. Even Disney+, which is third only to Netflix and Prime Video in terms of subscribers, has yet to break even and is still losing quite a bit of money. That's why shows that aren't performing particularly well are being removed from these services.
While royalties are not nearly has high in the streaming world compared to traditional TV (which is a large part of why the Writers Guild of America is currently on strike), those royalties still add up. By removing the shows from the service, Paramount can save some money and inch closer to profitability. In an additional statement, a spokesperson for Paramount+ thanked the teams behind the shows that will soon be without a home:
"The Paramount+ series 'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,' 'Star Trek: Prodigy,' 'Queen of the Universe,' and 'The Game' have completed their runs on Paramount+ and will not be returning to the service. We want to extend our thanks to our tremendously talented cast and crew and our producing partners for their passionate work and dedication on these programs, and we wish them all the best on their future endeavors."
As for "Star Trek: Prodigy," post-production will reportedly be completed on the animated show's second season, with the studio seeking a new buyer for the show. There is no word yet on whether or not "Rise of the Pink Ladies," "Queen of the Universe," or "The Game" will find homes elsewhere. If not, fans of the show will, unfortunately, soon have a tough time watching them.