ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish says better-than-expected customer growth for CBS All Access and his studio's other streaming platforms has been helped by consumers cocooning in front of video screens during the novel coronavirus pandemic. "COVID has been a tailwind for streaming," Bakish told the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference during a virtual appearance on Tuesday.
The ViacomCBS boss was talking about CBS All Access after its subscriber target for 2020 was raised to 18 million consumers now being set to rebrand as Paramount+ in early 2021.
Bakish said CBS All Access growth had also been driven by strong programming and broad distribution of live sports, news and entertainment offerings.