ViacomCBS has canceled 60 Minutes Plus at its tentpole streaming service Paramount Plus, doing away with a title touted as one of the service’s premium exclusives.
The company confirmed that The edge that it will no longer produce 60 Minutes Plus, a spin-off of the award-winning news magazine 60 minutes. The series had only streamed one season of 30 episodes as of the cancellation announcement, which was shared with staffers Thursday morning. Variety previously reported, citing sources familiar with the situation. In a statement, the company said the content that the series produced will remain on Paramount Plus.
“We are proud of the 60 Minutes+ team and the stories they have produced, which have informed the public about some of the most important issues of our time,” the company said in a statement shared with The edge. “Their journalism has been recognized with several awards, including a Gracie, National Headliner and NABJ Salute to Excellence Award. The excellent work done by the 60+ team will remain on Paramount+.”
Variety reported that news — an important part of the Paramount Plus content pitch — will remain at the heart of the service’s programming. The company reportedly plans to help 60 Minutes Plus employees find other roles within the organization.
The series began in March last year with the rebranding of Paramount Plus from its predecessor CBS All Access streaming. The series covered topics as broad as the Capitol uprising and the metaverse, and episodes ran from 15 minutes to over 20 minutes. The series was hosted by correspondents Seth Doane, Wesley Lowery, Enrique Acevedo and Laurie Segall.
Currently, 60 minutes is available virtually everywhere — including through podcasts, YouTube, Facebook, and its website — and the 60MinutesOvertime.com webcast gives viewers access to behind-the-scenes video and archive programming. The company has not shared any comments about its decision to kill the program’s standalone streaming brother, 60 Minutes Plus.