ViacomCBS Partners With Sky to Launch Paramount Plus in Europe
Streamer Paramount Plus will launch on Sky platforms in the U.K., Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria (GSA) in 2022 as part of a new multi-year distribution agreement with ViacomCBS Networks International.
The agreement also includes the extended carriage of ViacomCBS’ portfolio of pay TV channels and the renewal of Comcast-owned Sky as an ad sales partner in select markets.
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When the service launches, Sky Cinema subscribers will get Paramount Plus included at no additional cost, providing access more than 10,000 hours of extra content. As part of the partnership, Paramount Pictures’ feature films will remain available on Sky Cinema in the U.K. and will join Sky Cinema in Germany and Italy in 2022. All other Sky customers will be able to subscribe to Paramount Plus as an add-on to their account.
“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 Plus to new audiences in all Sky markets, including the U.K., Ireland, Italy, and GSA,” said Raffaele Annecchino, president and CEO, 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.”
Paramount Plus is the latest in a series of apps to come to the Sky Q service, which also includes Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus.
Stephen van Rooyen, executive VP and chief executive, U.K. and 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 Plus 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.”
The streamer will also be available direct-to-consumer in U.K., Ireland, Italy and GSA through the Paramount Plus app for iOS and Android and across supported connected TV devices and OTT platforms. Pricing and local content offering will be announced at a later date.
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