SkyShowtime

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. 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.

History
On August 18, 2021, Comcast and Paramount Global announced the formation of a joint venture to launch a new subscription video 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. SkyShowtime was structured with equal investment and joint control by Paramount Global and Comcast.

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

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. On December 14, 2022, SkyShowtime launched in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Kosovo. 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). It finished its roll-out by launching in Spain and Andorra on February 28, 2023, with its content later being incorporated as part of more expensive packages in the Spanish TV operator Movistar Plus+ at the beginning of 2024.

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. 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. The majority of the shows were already in production or had been already finished. 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. In its first year, SkyShowtime premiered ten Original Series, including four acquired as part of the HBO deal.

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+, and two channels in Romania launched on April 25, 2024 exclusive to Digi.

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

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 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.


 * Also includes all content produced or distributed by:
 * Paramount Global
 * Paramount Pictures
 * Universal Pictures
 * United International Pictures
 * Dreamworks
 * Nickelodeon
 * Showtime
 * Comcast
 * NBCUniversal
 * Sky Studios
 * CBS
 * Some films, series, documentaries, etc. from other production companies and distributors outside of these.