Paramount+ has the second-largest slate of original subscription video on demand titles ordered in the U.K. so far in 2022, ranking only behind Netflix, Ampere Analysis said in a Monday report.
In the first quarter of 2022, Paramount+ expanded into Western Europe with most of its new commissions, seven out of 12 to be precise, produced in Britain, the research company highlighted. “The second slate of original titles in the second quarter consisted of eight more (six from the U.K.), making the U.K. the country with the highest number of Paramount+ original commissions outside the U.S.,” Ampere noted.
The research firm listed Netflix as having unveiled 16 first-run TV shows commissioned in the U.K. during the January through May period, followed by Paramount+, which launched in Britain in late June, with 13, Discovery+ with six, Amazon with five, Apple with three and Disney+ with two.
Seven of the 13 commissions announced by Paramount+ in the U.K. so far in 2022 have crime & thriller as their primary or secondary genre, “reflecting the British audience’s preferences,” Ampere also said. “Crime & thriller was the most popular genre among U.K. respondents in the first quarter of 2022.”
The Paramount+ slate includes three scripted crime & thriller series, including an adaptation of Jess Ryder’s 2018 psychological thriller The Ex-Wife,” the firm noted. “There are four unscripted series falling into the documentary – crime & thriller category, including The Box, a documentary on serial killers, presented by British detective Chris Loudon.”
Ahead of the streamer’s U.K. launch, executive vp, international general manager of Paramount+ Marco Nobili told THR that Britain was “a massive market and is definitely very appealing.”
Paramount+ entered the market at a time when “SVOD stacking is becoming increasingly popular in the U.K.,” according to Ampere. “Many British households now subscribe to two or more streaming services, with the average streaming household having access to 2.7. This is still below the U.S., where the average is four.”
Ampere analyst Zuzana Henkova highlighted how competitive the British streaming space is. “Paramount+ is conscious of how crowded the U.K. streaming market is becoming, and their decision to distribute with Sky+ will help tackle this challenge by providing instant subscriber reach,” the expert said. “One important differentiator for Paramount+ is its U.K.-made content, and this will also be key to engaging Sky’s customer base who are heavier-than-average viewers of U.K. content.”
About Post Author
