Since its launch in 2018, Paramount Network has been home to all things Paramount Global. However, its long and storied history has included a wider range of names and networks than just this Paramount branding alone. Over the decades, this channel has gone by many different names and has been found on many different channels. What channel is Paramount Network today? Here’s how DISH Network subscribers can tune in.
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Pick your choice of ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney Plus. Plans start as low as $4.99/month for ESPN+ only.
Free trial available. Watch 75+ channels, including local channels and special premium channel offers.
Take a 7-day free trial and stream more than 70 channels live. Record your favorites with unlimited DVR.
Paramount Network Channel Guide
| Channel Name | DISH Network Channel Number |
|---|---|
| Paramount Network | Channel 241 |
The History of Paramount Network
©Mouse family/Shutterstock.com
In 1983, the channel we now know as Paramount Network went by a very different name indeed. It was called The Nashville Network, or TNN. The channel existed to compete alongside MTV and CMT as a home for country music videos and unscripted originals about country musicians. It was sold off to the Gaylord Entertainment Company in 1987, the owner of the iconic Ryman Auditorium and Opryland USA. The new ownership shifted the focus of TNN away from music and more toward racing and motorsports — including NASCAR and American Speed Association races.
TNN continued to be a home for unscripted originals and live sporting events for the next decade or so. But, in 1999, more changes came to the network. Gaylord Entertainment sold the channel to Viacom and CBS. With this second change of hands, TNN again changed its programming focus. Now, the channel would be home to extreme sports, classic blockbuster films, and syndicated reruns of hit ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s network shows like Diff’rent Strokes, Newhart, Miami Vice, and more. It had evolved from a broadly appealing country music focus to one that was decidedly male.
This masculine energy drove the channel’s next rebrand to Spike TV. Marketed as the first channel exclusively for men, the network piled on adult cartoons, comedies, and other so-called manly programs. This proved to be its most successful rebranding yet. It adopted the Spike TV name in 2003 and kept it for the next 15 years. Alas, Viacom ownership once again decided to change gears in 2018. In conjunction with the media conglomerate’s Paramount+ streaming service, the company reworked Spike TV into the Paramount Network. It still goes by this name today.
Paramount Network Programming
Bar Rescue
is the only remaining show from Spike on Paramount Network.©History-Computer.com
Now that you understand the long and ever-changing history of the Paramount Network, let’s talk about the kind of shows and movies you might find on the channel today. It has dropped the unabashed masculine energy that drove Spike TV. But, it still clings to the same types of television shows and films that defined the network for much of the 2000s and 2010s. Here’s what DISH Network channel number 241 has in store for you on an average day.
Original Dramas
Over the last five years, Paramount Network has tried out about half a dozen different scripted original series. Today, the only one that remains is Yellowstone. Thankfully for Paramount Network, this show’s success more than compensates for the failure of the others. Some have even gone as far as to call the channel “The Yellowstone Network” as a joke about how popular the program is.
Unscripted Originals
It’s a similar story for Paramount’s unscripted originals. The channel has given several programs a shot over the years. But, the only unscripted original left on the Paramount Network is Bar Rescue. It’s a holdover from Spike TV. The reality show follows food and beverage industry expert Jon Taffer as he works to rehabilitate failing establishments across the country.
Syndicated Shows
When it’s not showing new episodes of Yellowstone and Bar Rescue (which, admittedly, are few and far between these days), Paramount Network loves to air reruns of sitcoms and dramas from other channels. Some of the most popular ones airing today include Two and a Half Men, The Office, NCIS, and Law & Order.
Movies
Deriving its name from a major film studio, it’s not surprising to learn that the Paramount Network has a variety of films to watch throughout its daily programming blocks. Recent examples of some films that have aired on the channel include Titanic (1997), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and A Star Is Born (2018).
