What if Paramount Global was founded in 2000 as ViacomCBS Corporation?

In 1999, Viacom made its biggest acquisition to date by announcing plans to merge with its former parent CBS Corporation. The merger was completed in May 2000, bringing CBS Cable's channels TNN (now Paramount Network) and Country Music Television (CMT) under Viacom's MTV Networks wing, as well as CBS's production units and TV distributors Eyemark Entertainment (formerly Group W Productions) and King World under the main wing.

In March 2005, the company announced plans of looking into splitting into two publicly traded companies under the continuing ownership of National Amusements because of a stagnating stock price. The internal rivalry between Les Moonves and Tom Freston, longtime heads of CBS and MTV Networks respectively, and the controversy of Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, which resulted in MTV being banned from producing any more Super Bowl halftime shows, were also seen as factors. After the departure of Mel Karmazin in 2004, Redstone, who served as chairman and chief executive officer, decided to split the offices of president and chief operating officer between Moonves and Freston. Redstone was set to retire in the near future, and a split would be a creative solution to the matter of replacing him.

The split was approved by Viacom's board on June 14, 2005, and took effect on January 3, 2006, and effectively reversed the Viacom-CBS merger of 1999. The existing Viacom was renamed CBS Corporation (thus restoring its pre-merger name) and was headed by Moonves. It was intended to include Viacom's slower-growing business, namely CBS, The CW (a merger of UPN and The WB), CBS Radio (since sold to Entercom on November 17, 2017), Simon & Schuster (to be sold to Penguin Random House), CBS Outdoor (formerly Viacom Outdoor), Showtime Networks, CBS Television Studios, CBS Television Distribution and CBS Studios International.

In addition, CBS Corporation was given Paramount Parks, which it later sold to amusement park operator Cedar Fair on June 30, 2006, and the CBS College Sports Network, now known as the CBS Sports Network.

Additionally, a spun-off company was created that took the Viacom name, which was headed by Freston. It comprised MTV Networks, BET Networks, Paramount Pictures, and Paramount Pictures' home entertainment operations. These businesses were categorized as the high-growth businesses. National Amusements continued to be the controlling shareholder of the two companies formed after the split. In September 2006, Redstone fired Freston and named Philippe Dauman as the head of Viacom.

On August 13, 2019, CBS and Viacom officially announced their re-merger deal; the combined company would be called ViacomCBS, with Bob Bakish as president and CEO and Shari Redstone as the chairwoman of the new company. On December 4, 2019, the deal was completed.

But what if Paramount Global was formed in May 5, 2000 as ViacomCBS Corporation instead of December 4, 2019.

This theory is interconnected to What if DreamWorks Pictures was founded in 1980 as The Geffen Film Company?

## Changes

* Paramount Global would've been known as ViacomCBS Corporation (2000-2019) and ViacomCBS, Inc. (2019-2022), before it was renamed Paramount Global (2022-present)
* While CBS and Paramount's television production units would've been still merge with each other, the combined unity would've been keep the CBS Paramount Television and CBS Paramount Domestic Television names, rebranding later to CBS Paramount Television Studios and CBS Paramount Television Distribution
* Viacom would've never de-merged with CBS in 2006
* ViacomCBS Corporation would've acquired Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation in February 2006
	+ Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation would've closed down in February 2006 due to bring acquired by ViacomCBS Corporation
		- As a result, Lionsgate Films would've become a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures and leave the big mini-majors in February 2006 due to this studio become a secondary film studio
		- After the acquisition of Lionsgate, Artisan Entertainment would've been revived and would've become a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures via Lionsgate Films in February 2006 due to this studio become a cult film studio and sharing film studio
		- Trimark Pictures would've been revived and would've become a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures via Lionsgate Films in February 2006 due to this studio become a speciality film studio and cousin film studio
		- Vestron Pictures would've been revived and would've become a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures via Lionsgate Films in February 2006 due to this studio become a sci-fi film studio
		- Anchor Bay Entertainment would've still become a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures via Lionsgate Films in 2016 due to this studio become a genre film studio
		- Roadside Attractions would've become a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures via Lionsgate Films in February 2006 due to this studio become a arthouse film studio
		- Summit Entertainment would've still become a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures via Lionsgate Films in 2012 due to this studio become a sibling film studio
		- Lionsgate Television would've become a subsidiary of CBS Paramount Television and leave the big mini-majors in February 2006 due to this studio become a secondary television studio
		- Lionsgate+ would've never existed, with it's original contents being streamed on Paramount+
* Paramount Global "formerly ViacomCBS" would've acquired DreamWorks Pictures library that was produced by Paramount Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies on May 8, 2006
* CBS Films would've never existed, with it's films being produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures
* MGM+ would've never existed
* Paramount+ would've been launched in 2007 as ViacomCBS All Access instead of 2021
	+ Paramount+ would've been known as ViacomCBS All Access (2007-2021), before it was renamed Paramount+ (2021-present)

## Logo Evolution

### ViacomCBS Corporation

#### 2000-2006

   On September 7, 1999, Viacom and CBS Corporation announced that they would've been re-merging into a one company called **ViacomCBS Corporation**, The re-merger was completed on May 5, 2000.

### ViacomCBS

#### 2019-2022

##### 2019-2020

   On December 4, 2019, ViacomCBS Corporation would've been renamed to **ViacomCBS**.

##### 2020-2022

    On September 28, 2020, the colors in the logo were swapped, though now in different shades. This logo was first introduced with its EyeQ video advertising platform, revealed a month prior on August 4.

### Paramount Global

#### 2022-present

    On February 15, 2022, chairwoman Shari Redstone and CEO Bob Bakish jointly announced that ViacomCBS would've been relaunched as **Paramount Global** the following day, effectively retiring the Viacom name overall after over 50 years (excluding Viacom18, Viacom Vantage, ViacomCBS EyeQ and ViacomCBS Digital Studios). This marks the first time that flagship property Paramount Pictures and its parent company had shared the same name since 1989, when Gulf and Western Industries became Paramount Communications. The logo's design is based on the one from their streaming service Paramount+, but with a darker shade of blue.