Paramount+ is in the midst of a shakeup, as the streamer recently cancelled shows and integrated its service with Showtime in an effort to better serve customers. Some subscribers were shocked by the removal of notable shows like Star Trek: Prodigy, and it's possible that another big audience is in for a shock of their own. There's an absolutely wild rumor circulating about the future of Big Brother's live feeds, and the bottom line is they may be changing going forward.
@TheSpoilerGirl1 is known on Twitter for her Big Brother spoilers, though she has admittedly had a spotty track record over the years. A number of recent reveals have been accurate, however, which is what makes this latest rumor so worrisome. According to the account, Paramount is considering altering its live feeds in the future, with changes that would result in only one to two days of being able to watch live feeds with a Paramount+ subscription:
OK I've been told Paramount is considering changing feeds to add daily extras like BBCAN + 1-2 days a week with live feeds available. CBS/BB Production is AGAINST this decision, and I would still say odds are we will have feeds but Paramount is trying to make changes. #BB25June 28, 2023
This rumor alleges that Paramount would like Big Brother to limit its live feeds to one to two days a week and then add supplemental content for the other days. This would be similar to what Big Brother Canada did in its latest season, except they removed live feeds entirely. Could this be what's on the table for Big Brother Season 25?
I would say no, mainly because Big Brother already confirmed live feeds would run for Season 25. @TheSpoilerGirl1 said the same but encouraged Big Brother fans to reach out if they were worried about the live feeds changing in the future:
Relax. The odds off feeds are relatively high for this upcoming season but changes could spark after BB25 but I am getting ahead of it. Call, email and leave feedback on Paramount's website.Also @ Paramount and @askparamount #BB25 CBS/BB Production WANT FEEDS. 🚨🚨🚨🚨June 28, 2023
Big Brother's live feeds are the primary element that separates it from most reality television. It has a fiercely dedicated audience that tunes in to see details about the season that often won't make the televised episodes. Removing access to the feeds any further than what we already miss would drastically undercut the appeal.
Given that, I can't immediately think of why Paramount+ would want to make the live feeds less effective and run the risk of potentially losing subscribers for future seasons of Big Brother. Perhaps there's an additional cost to hosting live feeds that we're unaware of or something else that would make less live feed access more cost-effective.
One valid reason that Paramount+ and CBS would have to limit the live feeds is to minimize the number of controversies that Big Brother has every season. When contestants have cameras on them 24/7 and no television to distract them, it turns out that they often say and do some controversial things. Having less live feed access would ultimately allow more control of what audiences see and for the show to scrub problematic statements or actions of Houseguests before they're seen.
Ultimately, this is just a rumor and one that seems to fly in the face of what we know about Big Brother Season 25. Still, it's good to be on high alert in the event that there are potential changes on the way and for fans to make it known they don't support them. Big Brother Season 25 will premiere on CBS on Wednesday, August 2nd, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Here's hoping that wild rumor is nothing more than that and that live feeds will be up and running when the Houseguests move in to start another exciting season.