SkyShowtime is the name of a new direct-to-consumer SVOD streaming service that is a 50/50 joint venture between Comcast Corporation and ViacomCBS to serve 20 European markets with content from NBCUniversal, Sky and the ViacomCBS portfolio of brands. It does not cover the markets where ViacomCBS is rolling out Paramount+ in partnership with Sky – namely the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The markets where SkyShowtime will ultimately be made available are Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
The new SVOD service is expected to launch in 2022, subject to regulatory approval, and no details about priority markets, pricing or marketing have been made available yet. The strategy is clear, however: create a compelling SVOD service that can be scaled quickly to cover a potential 90 million homes and which, in the words of the companies involves, combines the best of the U.S. and Europe, and brings together decades of direct-to-consumer experience (in the technical sense of serving subscribers who are billed every month and have a direct customer relationship).
SkyShowtime will include titles from SHOWTIME, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+ Originals, Sky Studios, Universal Pictures, and Peacock (the D2C service from NBCUniversal). It will host 10,000+ hours of entertainment. The service will include first-run new movies, and TV seasons launching every month, plus a library of all-time favourites.
“With the launch of SkyShowtime, we are well positioned to utilise our global ‘content engine’ to create a compelling streaming offering, quickly and at scale, with a smart strategic phased investment,” notes Raffaele Annecchino, President & Chief Executive Officer of ViacomCBS Networks International. “As a complement to our recently announced Paramount+ partnership with Sky, SkyShowtime represents a huge opportunity to accelerate our market expansion and build a leadership position in SVOD in Europe.”
Dana Strong, Group Chief Executive at Sky, says: “On the heels of Peacock coming to Sky, this partnership provides an innovative approach to quickly scale internationally and monetise content across Europe. Drawing on the strength of the incredible programming from NBCUniversal, Sky, and ViacomCBS, and powered by Peacock’s platform technology, SkyShowtime will provide a truly compelling line-up for the whole family and strong brand recognition across these regions.”
