Paramount has introduced a redesigned iteration of the Paramount+ app for Apple iPhone users that places short-form videos at the center of the mobile experience, according to two people familiar with the effort. The new layout emphasizes quickly consumable clips - including sports highlights, CBS News segments, UFC excerpts and trailers for films and television series - presented in a format that users can swipe through.
Company leaders are positioning the change to cultivate habitual use, aiming for viewers to open the app multiple times per day in the way they do with social platforms such as TikTok or Instagram. The sources said that higher frequency of engagement could justify integrating additional capabilities - for example, delivery of real-time statistics during "UFC Fight Night" matches and UFC Numbered Events or other interactive elements tied to live programming.
A Paramount spokesperson declined to comment.
Paramount still trails larger streaming competitors on mobile. Sensor Tower data cited by the sources indicates that in the first quarter of this year Paramount accounted for 2% of global streaming on apps, placing it last among the group that includes market leader Netflix and rivals such as HBO Max and Peacock. The data also notes that combining HBO Max and Paramount+, should the planned acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery be completed, would produce the fourth-largest streaming app.
In terms of user scale, Google-owned YouTube is substantially larger than Paramount+; mobile app measurement firm Apptopia is cited as saying YouTube has 59 times as many users as Paramount+.
Industry executives described possible tactics Paramount might use to draw new viewers. Those approaches include collaborating with digital influencers or developing "micro dramas" - minute-long episodes that together form a longer narrative. Rival streaming services have similarly drawn from social media practices. For example, Netflix is investing in video podcasts, with new series from figures such as Pete Davidson, Michael Irvin and Brian Williams. Amazon Prime Video has secured a deal with YouTube personality MrBeast, the professional name of Jimmy Donaldson, for a reality competition series titled "Beast Games." One Hollywood talent agent summed up the competitive dynamic by saying, "Everybody chases everybody."
Another agent noted that Paramount has emphasized its relationship with TikTok, suggesting the company sees potential for future collaboration. The article notes that Paramount and TikTok U.S. share a common backer in Oracle billionaire co-founder Larry Ellison. Both TikTok and Paramount say there is no agreement in place.
The work on the Paramount+ app is described as part of a broader overhaul affecting both Paramount+ and Pluto TV, which the company outlined in recent presentations to advertisers.
Analysis context
The move concentrates on mobile-first viewing behavior by surfacing short clips that can be consumed quickly, with the explicit objective of increasing visit frequency and creating space for added live-event features tied to sports programming.