Paramount+ Ordered Almost As Many UK Shows As Netflix During The First Half Of This Year – Report
Paramount+ has planted a UK flag in a big way in recent months and research today from Ampere Analysis reveals the streamer greenlit almost as many UK shows as Netflix during the first half of this year.
Paramount+, which launched in the UK at ￡6.99 ($8.37) per month with a glitzy London do three weeks ago featuring some of its biggest stars, ordered 13 UK shows from January to May 2022, only three behind Netflix and well ahead of rivals.
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Discovery+ was third with six, Amazon ordered five, Apple TV+ commissioned three and Disney+ just two, although the research only covers commissions that have been unveiled publicly.
Paramount+ is putting much of its energy and resource into non-U.S. commissions and big-budget shows coming from the UK include Kenneth Branagh’s A Gentleman in Moscow, a Sexy Beast remake and a series on Premier League billionaires from David Beckham’s Studio 99.
Of the 13 greenlights, eight were documentaries, three were in the crime and thriller genre, there was one reality show and one drama.
Ampere Analysis Analyst Zuzane Henkova talked up Paramount+’s ability to break into the UK market due to its distribution deal with Sky.
“This will help tackle challenges by providing instant subscriber reach,” she added.
“One important differentiator for Paramount+ is its UK-made content and this will also be key to engaging Sky’s customer base, who are heavier-than-average viewers of UK content.”
Fears over subscribers refusing to add yet another streamer to their monthly outgoings were also placated by Ampere, who said the average UK household is accessing 2.7 SVoDs, behind the U.S., however, where the average is four.
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