Paramount+ is continuing its global expansion into Asia as it sets to launch in Japan in December, bringing with it original content including Star Trek.
Paramount+ is going to Japan… with Star Trek
Paramount Global just announced the upcoming launch of the Paramount+ streaming service in Japan. They are partnering with J:COM, one of Japan’s top cable television and internet providers along with the premium pay channel Wowow. Paramount+ films and television series will be available in Japan via the on-demand services of both J:COM and Wowow, at no additional costs for their subscribers.
According to the announcement Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will be available at launch. It isn’t clear yet what other Star Trek content (both new originals and legacy shows and movies) will also be available at or after the December 1 launch in Japan.
Wowow also released a video promo about the announcement, but it doesn’t feature any of the Star Trek shows.
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Paramount Globalの
プレミアムストリーミングサービス
🔵Paramount+⚪日本上陸決定🎉
━━━━#WOWOW および #JCOM との
パートナーシップにて
12月1日よりサービス開始✨それぞれのオンデマンドサービスを通じて
視聴が可能に📱💻
詳細は☛https://t.co/f9VjoOmAFWティザー動画公開‼ pic.twitter.com/q0tUPWWOEE
— WOWOW総合 (@WOWOW_SOGO) September 20, 2023
Japan is the second Asian launch for Paramount+ following S. Korea last June.
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Meantime, New Zealand fans of Lower Decks continue to eat static as Prime sits there with only S1 and S2 available. Thankfully the national broadcaster TVNZ took on SNW while P+ and Amazon fiddle around…
VPN time?
I wonder if Earthspark will be part of it or will it be left out because it has nonbinary characters.
Oh oh oh oh that’s my new hyperfixation. I got into Transformers because of Jeffrey Combs being a voice actor in Transformers Prime and now I want. Every single figure of Starscream ever made. (Listen! I’m gay! And I have a type! And now I think an evil non human robot is hot!) That’s the mania talking though. I can’t afford every single Starscream ever. Maybe I can get a few though.
But Paramount can you get all of Transformers Prime onto your platform! I have P+ but not Amazon Prime or Netflix and it’s impossible to find all three seasons in the same place! I want to watch it without resorting to Transformers Crime!
But I’m glad Japan is getting these shows and movies now!
The design of Transformers Prime Starscream! The character arc! The personality! Voiced by Steve Blum! And at one point was going to be voiced by Jeffrey Combs! He’s just too powerful! My gay brain exploded! (Not really! It’s fine! I’m fine!)
Also Prime Ratchet and AGIMUS sound very similar and I am thriving on it! Oh oh oh oh my AGIMUS pin will be here next week! I can’t wait! It was a manic purchase. I spent the rest of my money for September on food and the P+ sub.
Not surprising Trek isn’t featured in the promo – it’s never really been much of a thing in Japan.
Is it that the Japanese prefer once and done serials to vast franchises?
Japanese love Star Wars. For foreign productions, visuals are their number one reason to follow. Transformers, well, its a Japanese story, made in Hollywood.
I think Star Trek is just very verbose and… American. Doesn’t always translate well. It has a niche following, but you just have to look at the box office numbers for all the films – they never do great number. Star Trek Beyond made about $5 million there.
Star Trek is more likable for anglo speakers. With the rich examples of our current social issues and the technobabble, it is a challenge to appeal to foreign audiences, including the Japanese. I have tried to watch Star Trek in Spanish and it is very VERY weird. I couldn’t watch more than 10 minutes. :D
I think Prodigy will be the best choice to watch, but guess what, their executives removed it from the network. Every time I remember what happened with Prodigy, makes me very upset. Hope they change their minds, Paramount+ always promote themselves to be the home of ALL Star Trek.
The Japanese people are NOT the only audience in Japan. Many of us would love to have P+ at no extra cost. Oh wait, several months ago J:COM’s fees went up when they started offering “free” internet. At the same time TOS, DS9 and the first three seasons of Disco were all being shown on a channel specifically for Western shows. Someone here other than me loves Trek.
Glad that now Paramount+ content will be available in Japan. Twenty plus years ago I was working there. A good friend recorded many Star Trek Enterprise episodes, in VHS. He sent me these tapes by mail. I was so grateful. They were a treasure among all my friends. They were shared by many.
I’ll be on the lookout for ads…….I live in Tokyo ;-)
I finally got around to checking J:Com On Demand. There is a new service called J:Com streaming. PARAMOUNT+ is within it. I also saw Captain Pike featured; thus, SNW will be likely. E featured. A channel called Super Drama Tv, which heavily featured America dramas, including Star Trek, aired for the last time on September 30, 2023. I’m glad Paramount+ will be free to J:Com users because it’s too late in the game to sign up for yet another service.