Paramount is pulling out all the stops on its international rollout, as it’s set to launch Paramount+ in Italy on September 15. This will mark the third European country Paramount has reached this year.
Italian subscribers will have access to the Paramount original content available in other markets, like its hit TV series “Yellowstone,” the limited series “The Offer” among others. Paramount’s also greenlit a slate of Italian titles, including the original production “14 Days” and “Circeo,” which will be co-produced with Italian broadcasting company Rai.
The subscription for Paramount+ in Italy will cost around $8.22 (€7.99) per month or $82.03 (€79.90) annually.
“Italy not only has an incredible production history, from cult movies to TV series, but it is also a key market for the global expansion of Paramount+,” stated Marco Nobili, EVP and international general manager of Paramount+. “This launch, followed by Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France in the coming months will bring Paramount+ to all major European markets by the end of the year.”
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish noted on the second quarter earnings call that Paramount+ will be launched as a hard bundle in Italy with Sky Italia.
He added the service’s earlier international launches in South Korea, the U.K. and Ireland “are performing above our expectations.”
Beyond Europe, Paramount has geared up an India launch for Paramount+ in 2023. The company’s FAST service Pluto TV is also making international waves, recently turning up in the Nordics and Canada.
Further enhancing its international expertise, Paramount this month appointed Pamela Kaufman as CEO and president of the company’s international markets division. She served previously as Paramount’s president of Global Consumer Products and Experiences.
Other streamers are following suit with global expansion. Fox’s Tubi plans to launch in five new Latin American countries this month. Freevee, Amazon’s free ad-supported streaming service, recently marked Germany as its second international expansion.
HBO Max, on the other hand, has pulled back original production across several European countries, as part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s broader strategy to cut its spending by as much as $3 billion by next year.
Complementing its international moves, Paramount is equally active on the domestic distribution front. The Roku Channel this month added Paramount+ as a premium subscription partner, complete with a dedicated programming guide for the service.
Paramount is reportedly one of the companies (along with Disney and Comcast) that’s had discussions with Walmart about the retail giant possibly integrating streaming into its membership offer. But it’s yet unclear if any streaming bundle deal is in the works.