Soon it will be easier to name a media conglomerate that does not have a subscription streaming service

CNBC reports that ViacomCBS, the merger of cable giant Viacom and broadcaster CBS, is planning to enter the subscription streaming service arena; Comcast's NBCUniversal and AT&T's WarnerMedia's upcoming services not to mention (take a deep breath) join the existing streaming services of Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Hulu, and ESPN

According to CNBC's sources, ViacomCBS's streaming efforts will simply take the existing CBS All Access offering and augment it with Viacom-owned cable Currently offered starting at $599 per month ($999 for a commercial-free version), CBS All Access offers CBS prime time programming, sports coverage including NFL and college football games, and some original programming such as "Star Trek: Picard"

However, the company has not yet established a distribution channel

But under the ViacomCBS banner, CBS All Access will grow to include much more Cable programming could include Pluto TV, Nickelodeon, BET, MTV, and Comedy Central The service will reportedly include The Godfather and Indiana Jones, as well as movies from Viacom-owned Paramount Pictures, which includes more than 3,000 titles

The report suggests that the ViacomCBS service will continue to be offered in two tiers, ad-supported and ad-free; access to Showtime will reportedly be included in the premium tier

The official name and price of the service is unknown, but sources told CNBC that the entry-level price is likely to be less than $10 per month

What ViacomCBS is preparing is very similar to NBC's Peacock The service, which will launch this April, will have a free ad-supported tier and subscriptions for $499 and $999 per month; Peacock will feature NBC programming, original programming, and movies from Universal, Lionsgate, and others

One month after Peacock's launch, HBO Max will launch The $1499/month service will include programming from HBO as well as Warner Media's cable channels and Warner Bros' film studio library Original programming is also available

What this means is that unless ViacomCBS launches quickly, it risks being crushed by other soon-to-be-launched services

Consumers may also have a headache choosing a streaming service Not only will would would-be viewers have to decide which streaming service is worth paying for, but they will also have to figure out which service can exclusively hold their favorite shows and movies

It's so confusing that one almost wishes for the heyday of cable television, when there was only one monthly fee Almost