SkyShowtime CEO Monty Sarhan has announced that former Netflix executive Kai Finke has been appointed Chief Content Officer. Based in Amsterdam and reporting to Sarhan, Finke will lead the programming team. In this new role, Finke will be responsible for programming strategy, overseeing the service’s pipeline of partner studio entertainment, merchandising and scheduling, and SkyShowtime’s […]
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish says the stand-off between Charter and Disney is an “inevitable” consequence of the trends in DTC and pay-TV and their apparent incompatibility. He says ralationships have to “modernise” and says his company is a good example. “Frankly, it wasn’t a surprise, the exact timing was, but it was inevitable that something […]
SkyShowtime has announced that Original series Mentiras Pasajeras (‘Fleeting Lies‘) will premiere exclusively on the service from October 9th, with new episodes available to stream every Monday. The series’ cast includes Elena Anaya, Pilar Castro, Hugo Silva, Quim Gutiérrez and Susi Sánchez, alongside an A-list roster of guest stars including María Botto, Pedro Casablanc and Estefanía […]
SkyShowtime has announced that its first Slovakian original series The Winner (Víťaz) will premiere on the service from September 4th. The Winner (Víťaz) is a six episode family comedy that delves into the life of Viktor Hudák (Ady Hajdu), a former Prime Minister of a small European country, who, after a decade, strives to reconnect […]
Verizon is offering Netflix, Paramount+ and Showtime together as a bundle via +play. For a limited time, US subscribers can get Netflix’s Premium Plan and the Paramount+ with Showtime bundle together for $25.99 (€24.15). Verizon says this is the first time the streaming services have been offered together, giving its customers added value on their […]
The Smithsonian Channel has been hit with staff reductions at its Washington HQ. Local reports say that Smithsonian’s editorial team has been badly affected by a sizeable number of staff cuts. The lay-offs follow on from the Showtime/Paramount combination and – besides a 25 per cent headcount reduction – has also resulted in redefining its […]
Paramount Global is cutting around 25 per cent of its workforce in its domestic cable networks as it seeks to reduce costs in its merger with Showtime and MTV networks. Staff affected by the move started receving notifcation of their employment termination on May 9th, according to Bloomberg. Paramount is combining nine separate teams into […]
A post-results report from analysts at MoffettNathanson (MN) admitted that 2022 was a “challenging year” for Paramount. MN praised SVoD service Paramount+ and its 56 million subscribers (up 9.9 million), but suggested that investors should be focused on free cash flow (FCF) as the true measure of a business. The problem is that last year’s […]
Paramount Global disappointed Wall Street estimates on quarterly revenue as a slump in the advertising market hit CBS. TV advertising revenue fell 7 per cent in the three months to December, despite a lift from political advertising on the back of US mid-term elections in November. Meanwhile, Paramount+ added a record 9.9 million subscribers, partly […]
Showtime, the US cable network, has let go of some 120 staff as part of its cost-cutting exercise in its merger with Paramount Media Networks into Paramount+. The news comes amidst a greater integration between MTV Entertainment Studios and Showtime. In January, Paramount Global announced that Showtime’s premium cable pay-TV service as well as the […]