SkyShowtime

Last updated

SkyShowtime
SkyShowtime Logo.svg
Logo used since 2022
Type of site
 OTT streaming platform
Area servedParts of Europe (see full list of countries)
Owner NBCUniversal (Comcast)
Paramount Media Networks (Paramount Global)
(2022–present)
Key people Monty Sarhan (CEO)
URL Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
RegistrationRequired
LaunchedSeptember 20, 2022;19 months ago (2022-09-20)
Current statusActive

SkyShowtime is a joint-venture between Comcast and Paramount Global which combines programming from the corporations Peacock and Paramount+ services as well as Sky Studios. [1] SkyShowtime launched in European markets where Sky does not operate their satellite and cable services, with viewers in countries like the United Kingdom and Ireland getting access to both Paramount+ and Peacock on their Sky Q and NOW boxes along with Sky Glass television sets instead. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

History

On August 18, 2021, Comcast and Paramount Global announced the formation of a joint venture to launch a new subscription on demand service that would launch in over 20 European markets encompassing 90 million homes, including key markets such as Spain, Poland, Portugal, Netherlands, and the Nordic countries. [6] SkyShowtime was structured with equal investment and joint control by Paramount Global and Comcast. [7]

On January 11, 2022, Monty Sarhan was named CEO of SkyShowtime. [8]

The service was launched in the Nordic countries on September 20, 2022, where it replaced the previously operated Paramount+. It arrived in the Netherlands and Portugal on October 25, 2022. [9] On December 14, 2022, SkyShowtime launched in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Kosovo. [10] SkyShowtime launched on February 14, 2023 in the rest of Central and Eastern Europe (including Hungary and Poland, where it replaced the previously operated SVOD service of Paramount+, known as Paramount Play in Poland). [11] It finished its roll-out by launching in Spain and Andorra on February 28, 2023, [12] with its content later being incorporated as part of more expensive packages in the Spanish TV operator Movistar Plus+ at the beginning of 2024. [13] [14]

On January 10, 2023, SkyShowtime announced the acquisition of 21 HBO Max original scripted series produced in Europe that were initially developed for the HBO streaming platform and television channels across the Nordics, Spain, and Central and Eastern Europe. [15] In total, the acquired series accounted for over 150 hours of local original programming. The programming became available after Warner Bros. Discovery, as part of its post-merger restructuring, decided to no longer produce originals in the Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Netherlands. [16] The majority of the shows were already in production or had been already finished. [17] [18] New shows that had never premiered on HBO were part of the deal and were branded as SkyShowtime Originals, including “ID” (Finland and Sweden), “The Winner” (Czechia and Slovakia) and “Warszawianka” (Poland). SkyShowtime will also premiere the second season of “Por H o Por B,” (Spain), the first season of which will also be on the service. [19] In its first year, SkyShowtime premiered ten Original Series, including four acquired as part of the HBO deal. [20]

In addition to the streaming service, SkyShowtime also has linear television channels in some of the regions where the service is available. Two channels are available in the Nordic countries, inherited from Paramount+, a linear channel launched in Spain on January 15, 2024, exclusive to the Spanish TV operator Movistar Plus+, [21] and two channels in Romania launched on April 25, 2024 exclusive to Digi. [22]

On February 16, 2024, it was announced that SkyShowtime would see a price increase on April 23 across all of its territories except in Poland, while on the same day an ad-tier version would be launched, with its pricing being either reduced or retained in comparasion with the original value of the service, depending of the region. [23]

Programming

SkyShowtime features many series from the Law & Order franchise, library and new series from Showtime such as crime drama Dexter , family drama Ray Donovan , American Gigolo , and the Taylor Sheridan productions for Paramount Network and Paramount+ such as Yellowstone , and Tulsa King . It also includes other shows from Paramount+ such as Frasier 2023 [24] among others as well as originals such as Bosé (TV series).

Regarding movies, the service includes films from Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures such as Top Gun: Maverick, Jurassic World Dominion, Minions: The Rise of Gru, The Northman, Sing 2, Trolls World Tour, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, The Lost City, Downton Abbey: A New Era, Nope, Belfast, Ambulance and The Bad Guys.

Launch

Launch dateCountry/Territory
September 20, 2022 Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark
Flag of Finland.svg Finland
Flag of Norway.svg Norway
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden
October 25, 2022 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal
December 14, 2022 Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria
Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia
Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro
Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia
Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia
February 14, 2023 Flag of Albania.svg Albania
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary
Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo
Flag of North Macedonia.svg North Macedonia
Flag of Poland.svg Poland
Flag of Romania.svg Romania
Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia
February 28, 2023 Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra
Flag of Spain.svg Spain
2025 Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine

See also

Related Research Articles

Paramount Media Networks is an American mass media division of Paramount Global that oversees the operations of many of its television channels and online brands. Its related international division is Paramount International Networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flix (TV network)</span> American movie-oriented pay television network

Flix is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Showtime Networks, a subsidiary of Paramount Global operated through its Paramount Media Networks division. Its programming consists solely of theatrically released motion pictures released from the 1970s to the present day, interspersed with some films from the 1950s and 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Streaming</span> Streaming service division of Paramount Global

Paramount Streaming is a division of Paramount Global that oversees the company's video streaming technology and direct-to-consumer services; including Pluto TV and Paramount+.

Xumo, LLC is an American internet television and consumer electronics company. It is a joint venture of Charter Communications and Comcast that operates the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) and advertising video on demand (AVOD) service Xumo Play, and distributes Xumo Stream Box digital media players and Xumo TV smart TVs. The Xumo Play platform's service operations are based in the Greater Los Angeles suburb of Irvine, California. As of October 2020, Xumo Play has 24 million monthly active users.

YouTube TV is an American streaming television service operated by YouTube, a subsidiary of Google. Announced on February 28, 2017, the virtual multichannel video programming distributor offers a selection of live linear channel feeds and on-demand content from more than 100 television networks and over 30 OTT-originated services, as well as a cloud-based DVR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MGM+</span> American pay television network

MGM+, formerly known as Epix, is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the MGMPlus Entertainment subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), which is itself a subsidiary of Amazon MGM Studios. The channel's programming consists of recent and older theatrically released motion pictures, original television series, documentaries, and music and comedy specials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HBO Europe</span> Group of television channels owned by HBO

HBO Europe is a premium television group of channels by HBO. It is available as a group of film channels and streaming television services in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Moldova while VOD-only services with original programming is available in Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Portugal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Network (international)</span> Television channel

Paramount Network is a brand of several television channels operated by Paramount International Networks that showcase the Paramount Pictures film catalogue, and selected TV series from Paramount Global's television productions. The channel was first launched in Spain on March 30, 2012, and in the years since, the channel has operated in a number of territories across Europe, East Africa, Latin America and Asia. It was formerly known as the Paramount Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movistar Plus+</span> Spanish TV network

Movistar Plus+ is the trade name of the subscription platform for digital television owned by Telefónica, which operates in Spain. The service is distributed via optical fiber and ADSL as well as with satellites such as Astra. The platform, which was officially launched on July 8, 2015, stems from the merger of Canal+, previously responsible for the satellite TV operations, and Telefónica's Movistar TV. It is the largest subscription television provider in Spain with 3.7 million customers and 45% of market share.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount+</span> American video streaming service

Paramount+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures, CBS Studios, Paramount Media Networks, and Paramount Pictures, while also including original series and films, live streaming sports coverage, and in the United States, live streaming of local CBS broadcast stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pluto TV</span> Internet-based TV platform

Pluto TV is a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max (streaming service)</span> American video streaming service

Max, formerly and commonly referred as HBO Max, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment, which is itself a division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Max first launched in the United States on May 27, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Global</span> American multinational mass media corporation

Paramount Global is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate controlled by National Amusements and headquartered at One Astor Plaza in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The company was formed on December 4, 2019, as ViacomCBS Inc. through the merger of the second incarnations of CBS Corporation and Viacom. The company took its current name on February 16, 2022, the day after its Q4 earnings presentation.

2019 merger of CBS and Viacom 2019 merger transaction

The 2019 merger of CBS Corporation and Viacom was announced on August 13, 2019, and was completed on December 4, 2019. The merger of equals reunited CBS Corporation and Viacom into a single company known as ViacomCBS after their separation from the first incarnation of Viacom on December 31, 2005. Both companies were owned by the theater company National Amusements, which remains the owner of the merged entity.

Peacock is an American over-the-top video streaming service owned and operated by Peacock TV LLC, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal Media Group. Named after the NBC logo, the service launched on July 15, 2020. The service primarily features series and film content from NBCUniversal studios and other third-party content providers, including television series, films, news, and sports programming. The service is available in a grandfathered free ad-supported version with limited content, while premium tiers include a larger content library and access to additional NBC Sports, Hallmark Channel, and WWE content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discovery+</span> American video streaming service

Discovery+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). The service focuses on factual programming drawn from the libraries of Discovery's main channel brands, as well as original series, and other acquired content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Roku Channel</span> Free streaming video service

The Roku Channel is an over-the-top video streaming service owned and operated by Roku, Inc. Launched in September 2017, the service is offered in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Mexico. The Roku Channel tops U.S. viewership for free ad-supported streaming TV, and reports 120 million viewers as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Showtime (TV network)</span> American pay television network

Paramount+ with Showtime, also known as Showtime, is an American premium television network and the flagship property of Showtime Networks, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Paramount+ with Showtime's programming includes original television series produced exclusively for the linear network and developed for the co-owned Paramount+ streaming service, theatrically released and independent motion pictures, documentaries, and occasional stand-up comedy specials, made-for-TV movies and softcore adult programming.

References

  1. ↑ "SkyShowtime announces official launch date and content line-up". September 5, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Comcast & ViacomCBS launch Sky Showtime". August 18, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Comcast and ViacomCBS announce "SkyShowtime", a new streaming service to launch in select European markets".
  4. ↑ "Comcast & ViacomCBS Extend Partnership with Sky Showtime".
  5. ↑ "Comcast and ViacomCBS to launch SkyShowtime". August 18, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Comcast and ViacomCBS announce "SkyShowtime", a new streaming service to launch in select European markets". August 18, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Comcast and ViacomCBS announce "SkyShowtime", a new streaming service to launch in select European markets". August 18, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  8. ↑ Szalai, Georg (January 11, 2022). "Comcast, ViacomCBS Name Monty Sarhan CEO of SkyShowtime Streaming Venture in Europe". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  9. ↑ "SkyShowtime makes European debut". Broadband TV News. September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  10. ↑ Nikolić, Dragan (November 4, 2022). "SkyShowtime announces official launch dates for Central & Eastern Europe". Diplomacy&Commerce. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  11. ↑ Szalai, Georg (January 31, 2023). "SkyShowtime Sets Feb. 14 Launches in 8 Markets". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  12. ↑ "SkyShowtime completes European roll-out". February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Movistar Plus+ to launch SkyShowtime, becoming the best entertainment offer in Spain". SkyShowtime Newsroom. December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Movistar Plus+ lanzará SkyShowtime, convirtiéndose en la mejor oferta de entretenimiento en España" (in Spanish). Madrid. Movistar Plus+. December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  15. ↑ Szalai, Georg (January 10, 2023). "SkyShowtime Acquires 21 HBO Max European Originals (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  16. ↑ Ravindran, Manori (July 4, 2022). "SHBO Max Halts Originals in Parts of Europe in Major Restructure (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  17. ↑ Whittock, Jesse (June 22, 2022). "HBO Max Europe Originals Team Face Layoffs At Warner Bros Discovery, With Final Productions Set To Be Licensed — "It Feels Like The End Of An Era," Say Producers". Deadline .
  18. ↑ Szalai, Georg (January 10, 2023). "SkyShowtime Acquires 21 HBO Max European Originals (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter .
  19. ↑ Szalai, Georg (January 10, 2023). "SkyShowtime Acquires 21 HBO Max European Originals (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  20. ↑ Ntim, Zac (May 21, 2023). "SkyShowtime Sets Slate Of European Originals During Cannes Showcase". Deadline . Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  21. ↑ "SkyShowtime llega este lunes a Movistar Plus+ y esta es su programación". MundoPlus.tv. January 12, 2024.
  22. ↑ "SkyShowtime announces first partnership in Central and Eastern Europe with DIGI in Romania". SkyShowtime Newsroom. February 16, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  23. ↑ "SkyShowtime announces introduction of new Standard with Ads plan". SkyShowtime Newsroom. February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  24. ↑ 'Frasier' returns three decades later with a new season
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.