As if there weren't enough streaming platforms to choose from, Paramount+ and Showtime are giving customers another option to consider.
The two entities are merging to form Paramount+ with Showtime, a move that will integrate all of the premium cable network's content into a premium streaming tier on Paramount+. With more households cutting their cable cords, integrating content onto a streaming platform will allow more eyes on Showtime's content, Bob Bakish, Paramount CEO, said in a statement.
"Now, with SHOWTIME's content integrated into our flagship streaming service, and select Paramount+ originals joining the linear offering, Paramount+ will become the definitive multi-platform brand in the streaming space -– and the first of its kind to integrate streaming and linear content in this way," he said.
Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Paramount Media Networks and Showtime, said that investments will be diverted away from unsuccessful projects to clear a path for the cable network's hit shows to reach a global audience.
"As a part of Paramount+, we can put more resources into building out the lanes that have made the SHOWTIME brand more famous, as well as turning our hit shows into global hit franchises," he said.
More information on the merger is expected to be revealed in the coming weeks. Paramount Global, parent company of Paramount+, is set to report earnings on February 16.
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
About 780,000 pressure washers sold at retailers like Home Depot are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada, due to a projectile hazard that has resulted in fractures and other injuries among some consumers.
