Selling out: Why is ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ moving to Paramount Plus?
The latest season of RuPaul’s Drag Race has been available to watch on multiple stations aside from their home with VH1. This has made the wildly popular show easily accessible for various audiences and also allowed new people to become fans of the show.
Things are about to get trickier though. The next season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars is set to be on Paramount Plus – the new streaming platform that has recently replaced CBS All Access. Being a streamer exclusive means not everyone will be able to afford to scale the paywall, meaning they won’t be able to watch the show.
So, why the move? Let’s take a look at what we know.
Paramount Plus enters the chat
We all know that the streaming wars are well underway, and the fight isn’t taking any prisoners. Quibi already made this little fact crystal clear by burning not-so-bright, but then flaming out of existence in a big way last year.
In order to lure subscribers to these studio specific platforms – which in some ways feel very niche – they need to do whatever they can in order to get people to cough up a few dollars each month for their service over everybody else’s.
Most streamers seem to believe original content is the way to go. Paramount Plus seems to have taken this thought a little further. What better way to get people on the platform than with new content from a show everyone already adores?
Not alone
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars won’t be the only drag-themed show to hit Paramount Plus. It seems they’re hoping you’ll come to the platform for Drag Race and then stay for Queens of the Universe.
What’s Queens of the Universe you ask? It’s being described by Variety as an “unscripted international drag queen singing competition”. It’s being produced by World of Wonder and will feature drag queens from all over the world in a sing-off style show.
It’s currently not known whether the new competition show will feature any familiar faces from Drag Race, but we certainly wouldn’t write that off as a possibility.
Is this a smart move?
This seems like a risky move for RuPaul’s Drag Race to make. It’s been known for years now that consumers are getting absolutely fed up with the abundance of streaming services. The original reason we loved it is because there were only one or two places to go in order to get practically all the content we could want. Now the system is so fractured it barely seems worth it.
Consumers have also decried the fact that they simply cannot afford to pay for every single service out there. Paramount Plus is pretty late to the game, so it’s no wonder they’re trying to tout the titles of some seriously popular content in order to convince some people to sign up – but is it enough?
Will they ultimately end up alienating Drag Race fans? If people can’t / won’t pay for Paramount Plus, then they’ll either have to forgo watching the show they love and deal with the major FOMO, or they’ll pirate the show with the bitter taste in their mouth that they used to be able to watch the show on TV. This also raises questions about whether or not other Drag Race seasons will be on Paramount Plus in the future too.
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What do you think? Will you get Paramount Plus in order to watch the next All Stars season or will you be dealing with the FOMO by re-watching older seasons? Let us know all your thoughts in the comments down below!
Acacio Moore
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Paramount Plus SUCKS! A bunch of stale old CBS network shows and a hand full of old seasons of shows from a few other nets like BET, MTV. etc. If you try to watch Drag Race, Paramount Plus only goes up to Season 10 so they are THREE seasons behind!!! That’s just STUPID.
April 10, 2021R.C
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Unbelievable! People have followed this show and been supportive for many seasons. This is the time of a pandemic. WRONG TIMING.
April 23, 202104/23/2021
Lynne
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I’m already paying too much for satellite that forces me to pay too much for (most) of the channels I want plus all the 200+ crap channels I don’t want and never watch. Now they want me to pay a bunch more for a streaming service for JUST ONE SHOW! Not to mention I would have to pay extra for more bandwidth I can’t afford. Sorry, RuPaul, you’ve priced your shows beyond my reach, and, I suspect, many, many other fans as well. Too bad, I really enjoyed Drag Race.
August 10, 2021Gloria B
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I am already paying over $220/month for cable which included the VH1 channel. As much as I love RuPaul adding paramount+ for an additional $10/month is not going to happen. I will miss her terribly, and hope that she made the right decision to go with yet another streaming channel.
April 23, 2021TC
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It seems that this move will cause many viewers to be cut out of the ability to watch this show. Many rural communities do not have access to high speed internet. How will Rupaul’s message reach the LGBTQ members of these communities?
April 24, 2021TReid
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Rupaul has never cared about anything other than her pocket book. All that “we’re a family” crap is just for show and ends as soon as the TV goes off or he isn’t being paid.
May 26, 2021Linda L Greene
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I love Rupaul’s drag race but I refuse to pay more for tv.
April 24, 2021SP
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I love the show but there is no way I am paying for (or can afford) another streaming service.
April 24, 2021Xavier
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RIP. RuPaul drag race!!!! Is the beginning of the end.
April 24, 2021#Rupaul has sell out to CASH !!!
It will definitely diminish the exposure the LGBTQ has been enjoying because of the show.
Won’t be watching next season!!
Doreen Mazza
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I LOVE EVERYTHING Ru Paul so I’ll probably be getting this channel. It sucks that everything has to become a drama :( Can’t we just turn on the tv and watch ?! So frustrating & even with ALL of these channels, there’s still not a damn thing 2 watch!!!
April 26, 2021Sad Fan
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I’ll pass on this one. I’ve been a loyal fan from Season 1 Episode 1. This will be the first season that I’ll miss
April 30, 2021D.James
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We watched you from day one . Now you want us to pay to see you. Our budget can’t stretch to follow you anymore.
May 27, 2021RLF
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Not going to happen. Sick of adding $5.99 for this one, another $5.99 for that one ad infinitum. Don’t know what RuPaul was enticed by, other than the money, of course, but this isn’t going to go over well with his significant fan base; they’re going to go MIA
June 2, 2021Steve
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Bye bye Ru. I’m leaving you now. With people struggling to keep their heads above water in a greedy world you’ve screwed the pooch. You’re not worth $10/month. I believe you’ve sparked some frustration and hopefully some competition from up and coming, less greedy sources in our community. I’m done.
June 4, 2021Theresa J Morris
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Okay back after was my only choice in rural r Hindsight 20/20 in 2020! Now, cable for some close to towns and cities that have it. Satellite – was all I could get for Internet and TV Shows in Rural Kentucky. Now I have cable and ATT moved in and installed a direct line so I can get the new AT&T TV. This is too much- do I drop cable after 2 yrs. and figure out this app on roku tv for At&T TV? I like RuPaul so wherever she takes her entertainers I follow! Live Long and Prosper Trans and Drag Racers! Live Stream to Phone is okay but like my BIG SCREEN.
June 10, 2021Summer
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Devoted MEGA fan since season 1. After over a decade of loyal fandom, it’s a major slap in the face that access to Drag Race will be limited to those who are willing to pay for yet another streaming service. Very bad decision and very disappointing. We deserve better.
June 11, 2021Cynthia D Ward
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I am not going to watch RuPaul anymore–she can stay on Paramount forever. Frankly, I think her show has gone down a little every year for several years thanks for making my decision to stop watching got me… good luck😇!
June 13, 2021Russ
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Bye Ru!!!
June 18, 2021Rebecca
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This sucks. My season train ends here at the paywall. Nothing against Ru, everything against streaming services.
June 20, 2021Annie K
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I decided to subscribe…for now… but I’m bitter about it. Basically like how I became more and more annoyed with Big Brother/ it’s live streams games that I gave up and don’t even watch anymore. Hopefully the same thing won’t happen.
June 20, 2021Vivian J Dawson
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I will not pay for the steaming networks that’s taking shows from already existing cable channels that I have been watching since day one. Why should I have to pay to watch shows on Discovery+, Paramount+ or whomever that are on cable channels that I pay for already? These steaming networks ought to be ashamed of themselves. No I won’t be paying for any streaming networks so I guess I won’t be watching Ru Paul’s Drag Race or any other shows that I have been watching in the past.
June 20, 2021Sterling
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There plenty of people who can only afford basic cable. And WHO can approach their parents to make sure they subscribe to Paramount Plus? Drag and Ballroom and Pageant contestants historically, have been poor and disenfranchised, creating a fantasy world out of their own imaginations and monetary sacrifice. And maybe picking up a few crumpled singles in the course of a show, as their “tip”. On one hand, it’s wonderful for RuPaul to have become elite enough to call his own shots on TV. Unfortunately, this move cuts off his struggling “legendary” children and grand-children at the knees. “RuPaul. Leaving his kids out in the cold since 2021?” Lord, I hope it’s not as cold as it seems. So resentfully, I’ll scrape up the dough for another “vampire” channel to get only one show. I’m sorry for those whose only “Ru-Fix” will now come from watching the dozen or so seasons they’ve recorded. “Everybody say LOVE!”.
June 22, 2021Tia Vazquez
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This is RIDICULOUS! I watched Rupal’s Drag race with my mom for years on tv! It was a thing we did together! It was our drag Thursday or drag Friday! Whatever day it came on! We loved this show for years since I was 10 years old and to find out that we half to watch it on a stupid app is just down right money hungry at this point! It was introducing us to the LGBTQ world and what they go through and we were starting to feel empathy for them and starting to understand what they grow through and to see their beauty and talents they brought to the world. It’s sad that people won’t get that massage across about being themselves unless they freaking pay $10!!!! Absolutely disappointed!!!
June 23, 2021Juan L Ortiz
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I started watching during season 7 then began to backtrack the seasons on logo than when they went back to vh1 i was glad because i knew filming would be better. I too already pay $200+ for direct tv. I just cant! There are alot of underprivileged and poor people of the lgbtq and non binders and even straights that looked to this show for comfort and acceptance and a way to escape and now have to look elsewhere because they dont have the ability or the means to stream…. Money over responsibilty
June 24, 2021Melanie
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DITTO, Bu-bye Ru!🥺
June 29, 2021I’m sorry but I can no longer afford you…
My cable bill is over $200 a month… I’m not able to fork out ANY more $ to yet ANOTHER streaming service bec YOU have apparently sold out & abandoned your loyal fanbase!
It would seem that your pocketbook is now more important than your fans/family?🥺
Tom Taylor
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This sucks. I will not pay extra even to see my favorite show. Ru Paul drag race is going down hill anyways since she kept saving Cadi Muse last season who was the most hideous drag queen ever and now this . Ru Paul Sachay Away!
July 5, 2021TammyK
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Love the show and have watched every episode of every season but I am not subscribing to another service to watch All Stars. Loyal fan feeling very let down they moved to another service instead of staying on VH1.
July 7, 2021Tian
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Ridiculous, I have moved from one cable service to another following Ru, but I’m just not going add yet another 10.00 dollars to the over $200.00 bill.
July 8, 2021Yvonne Rose Delaney
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Well, I guess I’ll be saying goodbye to rupaul! Why would you start charging for a free show! Not fair to people who can’t afford all these extra channels for one show!!! Bye Drag Race!! It’s been a blast 👋
July 28, 2021Cyn
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Bye bye Ru, I will sashay away. I CAN afford to pay an extra fee but I refuse on general principle. It is truly sad and I hope you get whatever you deserve.
August 7, 2021Sore fan6
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I’m So not on board with this New Twist just to watch a show I have watched since it’s conception.. I’ve supported the show by subscribing to Cable channels that I needed to to watch like logo at an upcharge in service then it jumps to another channel then another AND NOW A STREAMING SERVICE… THAT WILL BE A HARD NO.. SHAME SHAME SHAME RU. BUT YOUR OVER INFLATED EGO AND BANK ACCOUNT COULD CARE LESS OBVIOUSLY..
November 27, 2021CB
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This is ridiculous! I have Paramount + which only has seasons 1-10. In order for me to watch all the drag Race content, I’ve had to get VH1, LOGO TV, WOW Presents +. S14 is on VH-1 but the commercial breaks are way too frequent and stream poorly. The show streams fine but the commercials that should take less than 5 minutes end up taking over 10 because it stops and starts. And that’s on 5G all bars mobile data. 🙄
January 31, 2022MadamLibrarian
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Agree with so many posts…already paying to much for cable. Can’t afford to pay more. Guess I’ll have more time on my hands as I will no longer be able to watch Drag Race. So sad, love the show, love Untucked… not really a fan of paramount plus offerings
April 24, 2022Please reconsider moving back to VH1
Miles
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I now just catch the recap show on YouTube. It is not like watching the show, but at least I get to see what the queens are wearing on the runway. I refuse to pay for more than one streaming service, and if I am only paying for one it certainly is not Paramount Plus!
May 28, 2022Fitbabe
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This is totally ridiculous moving to paramount! I’ve watched every episode and season. I tuned in tonight only to find out they moved from MTV channel to paramount. Please switch back to logo or mtv so that everyone can watch!!
May 19, 2023