Paramount The cast of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
For years, CBS and Paramount allowed their various series to be aired on rival streaming networks. An excellent example of this sort of thing is the hit show “Yellowstone.” The Kevin Cosner-helmed gangster cowboy drama airs on the Paramount Network, which is available on cable and satellite television. One would think that by subscribing to Paramount+, fans can see this show in its entirety, but that is not so.
In order to stream “Yellowstone,” one must subscribe to Peacock, which is NBC Universal’s streaming service. It’s a shame for fans who’d like to catch up on the latest helicopter and horse chaos on the show since the prequel series, “1883” streams on Paramount+ as well. Paramount (then called ViacomCBS) agreed with NBC Universal in January 2020.
It makes sense that eventually, Paramount+ would get this hit show onto its available titles since the network has been consolidating many of its other properties — like “Star Trek.” In January 2022, Amazon Prime lost five Trek series. At the same time, Hulu lost ten of the 13 “Star Trek” films from their streaming library.
In September 2021, Netflix lost the rights to show “The Original Series,” “Voyager,” and “Enterprise” in the United States. Thanks to a deal struck with former CBS boss Les Moonves in 2016, Netflix still has the Trek library available for viewers outside of the U.S.
This is all part of the plan to make Paramount+ the home for all things “Star Trek.” Even though the process of pulling titles from other streaming platforms is slow, it is happening. And now, what Paramount considers its “crown jewel” is also leaving Netflix.
“Star Trek: The Next Generation,” which is still the highest-rated and most “well-received installment” of the franchise, is leaving Netflix. Thanks to a report from CinemaBlend, fans know that the series will soon be unavailable on Netflix, leaving just “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” on the platform. Inverse’s Ryan Britt speculated that DS9 will soon be pulled as well.
‘Star Trek’ on Netflix
Writer Mick Joest theorized that this might pull in new fans to Paramount+, and they might give the new Trek titles a shot.
“Considering Trek shows were once available on just about every major streaming platform, it’s possible Paramount+ might finally pull in some of the viewers who weren’t interested in joining at first because they could watch their favorite shows in the franchise elsewhere,” Joest wrote.
This certainly makes good sense, as the spiritual successor to “The Next Generation” just started its second season. “Star Trek: Picard” features some cast members from their old show, including Picard (Patrick Stewart), Brent Spiner (Adam Soong), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), and John de Lancie (Q). Season One of “Picard” brought back Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Troi (Marina Sirtis).
Gone are the days when fans could tune into “The Next Generation” on a UHF station and watch for free. Now, fans either must have the show on DVD, Blu-ray, a subscription to Paramount+ — or this lesser-known platform.
Watch TNG For Free: Pluto TV
This free service is available as an app for Apple TV, Amazon Fire, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. It’s also available on computers via a web browser like Firefox, Chrome, or Safari. The content and shows are all free, and there’s a “Star Trek” channel (150), which shows episodes of “The Next Generation” all day. Pluto TV is available in the United States for free and is owned by Paramount.
Unlike Paramount+, which allows users to jump from series to series, and any episode is available on-demand, Pluto TV operates more like an actual television or cable station. The shows are free, but the titles available are not controlled by the user.
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