Paramount Plus will make the trip across the pond and be available to streamers in the UK and Europe starting in 2022, ViacomCBS has announced. The expansion comes via a partnership with Sky, a Comcast Corporation, that will see the Paramount Plus streaming service be available on Sky platforms in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
This new multi-year distribution agreement begins in 2022 and in addition to Paramount Plus also extends carriage of ViacomCBS’ portfolio of pay-TV channels on Sky.
Paramount Plus, a reworked and expanded version of CBS All Access, officially launched in March 2021 in the US. The service offers a library of classic ViacomCBS TV and movie titles from the likes of Paramount Studios, CBS, Nickelodeon, BET, Comedy Central and Showtime, as well as live sports, like the UEFA Champions League. It also has its own Paramount Plus original series, including Star Trek: Picard and other series set in the Star Trek universe, an iCarly reboot and original films like Mark Wahlberg’s Infinite. Paramount Plus is also the exclusive streaming home for Paramount movies 30-45 days after their debut in theaters, most recently adding A Quiet Place Part II.
When Paramount Plus launches on Sky TV, Sky Cinema subscribers will have access to the service at no additional cost. All other Sky customers will be able to subscribe to Paramount Plus as an add-on to their account. The streaming service will also be available direct-to-consumer through the Paramount Plus app for iOS and Android, as well as connected TV devices and OTT platforms. Pricing and local content will be announced at a later date.
“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 UK, 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.”
This is the second major streaming service that has struck a deal with Sky. Peacock, which is owned by Comcast, has also announced that it will be available to UK and European consumers in 2021.
ViacomCBS made the announcement along with its second-quarter 2021 financial results. The company shared that its number of global streaming subscribers rose to more than 42 million, including 6.5 million in the second quarter.
