ViacomCBS Networks International and Sky have announced that Paramount+ will launch on Sky platforms in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria (GSA) in 2022.
The deal is part of a new multi-year distribution agreement that also includes the extended carriage of ViacomCBS’ portfolio of pay TV channels and the renewal of Sky as an ad sales partner in select markets.
“We are thrilled to expand our long-standing partnership with Sky to continue delivering ViacomCBS’ leading portfolio of premium entertainment brands to Sky customers and importantly bring Paramount+ to new audiences in all Sky markets, including the UK, Ireland, Italy, and GSA,” said Raffaele Annecchino, President and Chief Executive Officer, ViacomCBS Networks International. “This transformative distribution deal is key to accelerating our global ambitions in streaming while also supporting Sky’s strategic objectives to better serve audiences with greater flexibility in how they consume our content across all platforms.”
Stephen van Rooyen, Executive VP & Chief Executive, UK & Europe at Sky said: “This is another example of how we are innovating for our customers and further aggregating all the best apps and content together in one place on Sky Q, giving them more great TV to watch than ever before. Paramount+ is an excellent service with a huge range of fantastic films and TV series, and our new, broader agreement with ViacomCBS will benefit both businesses.”
Upon launch, Sky Cinema subscribers will get Paramount+ included at no additional cost. As part of this partnership, Paramount Pictures’ feature films will remain available on Sky Cinema in the UK and will join Sky Cinema in Germany and Italy in 2022. All other Sky customers will be able to subscribe to Paramount+ as an add-on to their account.
Paramount+ features a catalogue of series and movies from brands and production studios including SHOWTIME®, BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel.
Titles that will become available through 2022 in the UK, Ireland, Italy and GSA include HALO, The Offer and the new iCarly series. As the international home of SHOWTIME, the service will offer The Man Who Fell to Earth, Ripley, Super Pumped, and American Gigolo, in addition to popular titles from ViacomCBS, such as Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, Star Trek: Prodigy, and MTV Unplugged. The service will also feature a collection of new movie premieres and fan favourites from Paramount Pictures such as films from the Mission Impossible and Transformer franchises.
In addition, ViacomCBS and Sky reached a multi-year extension for carriage of ViacomCBS’ linear channels — including Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon — in the UK, Ireland, Italy and GSA. ViacomCBS renewed its multi-year agreement with Sky as an ad sales partner for all platforms and channels in the UK and Italy. Sky Media will continue to handle ad sales across the ViacomCBS portfolio of channels, including Channel 5 in the UK, where ViacomCBS and Channel 5 will benefit from Sky Media’s market-leading innovation in addressable advertising.
Paramount+ will also be available direct-to-consumer in UK, Ireland, Italy and GSA through the Paramount+ app for iOS and Android and across supported connected TV devices and OTT platforms.
Jon Creamer
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