In a speech at the Edinburgh Television Festival, ViacomCBS Networks UK chief content officer Ben Frow has committed to commissioning local content for the company’s forthcoming SVOD service Paramount+ which is set to launch in the UK in 2022.
The direct-to-consumer streaming service is the successor to CBS All Access, Paramount+ premiered in the US and across Latin America on 4 March 2021, the Nordics on 25 March and Australia in mid-2021. It offers exclusive access to the latest films from the Paramount Pictures canon and TV series from the ViacomCBS stable such as Paramount Network, MTV, Comedy Central, Channel 5 UK and Nickelodeon.
In August, ViacomCBS announced plans to roll out Paramount+ in key European markets including UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, building on its partnership with Sky.
Yet in addition to a catalogue of hit shows and movies from the ViacomCBS brands and studios, the UK version’s content offer, as revealed by Frow, will feature high-end, original drama and documentary content from the UK. For this, Frow called on the UK’s burgeoning indie sector to pitch series which had UK resonance and global appeal, confirming that the business had a dedicated budget to invest in premium local content. “It’s about great content. We’re starting to work on our Paramount+ factual and drama slates – all ideas are welcome,” Frow told the Edinburgh audience.
Speaking alongside Frow, ViacomCBS Networks UK Daniel Pearl, overseeing unscripted originals for Paramount+ and Channel 5, welcomed the opportunity to develop premium show of a global audience and asked indies to submit a broad range of ideas covering anthologies, feature documentaries, boxsets and more. “Ours is an ongoing commitment to commissioning premium shows for SVOD and we are listening to the best ideas out there,” he added.
In August, ViacomCBS announced plans to roll out Paramount+ in key European markets including UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, building on its partnership with Sky.
Yet in addition to a catalogue of hit shows and movies from the ViacomCBS brands and studios, the UK version’s content offer, as revealed by Frow, will feature high-end, original drama and documentary content from the UK. For this, Frow called on the UK’s burgeoning indie sector to pitch series which had UK resonance and global appeal, confirming that the business had a dedicated budget to invest in premium local content. “It’s about great content. We’re starting to work on our Paramount+ factual and drama slates – all ideas are welcome,” Frow told the Edinburgh audience.
Speaking alongside Frow, ViacomCBS Networks UK Daniel Pearl, overseeing unscripted originals for Paramount+ and Channel 5, welcomed the opportunity to develop premium show of a global audience and asked indies to submit a broad range of ideas covering anthologies, feature documentaries, boxsets and more. “Ours is an ongoing commitment to commissioning premium shows for SVOD and we are listening to the best ideas out there,” he added.
