SkyShowtime, the European streaming joint venture of Comcast and Paramount Global, will introduce an ad-supported plan in April. The new Standard plan with advertising will be offered alongside its current ad-free tier, which will be renamed Standard Plus.
The advertising-supported service plan will be available starting April 23rd and will be implemented in over 20 SkyShowtime markets, including Central and Eastern Europe, the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.
Prices will vary depending on the market. For example, the advertising slot will cost 4.99 euros in Spain, and the price of the ad-free service will increase from 5.99 euros to 7.99 euros; annual subscription prices will be 39.99 euros with ads and 62.99 euros without ads.
In the Netherlands, the ad-supported tier will be available for 5.99 euros and the price of the ad-free service will increase from 6.99 to 8.99 euros.
What do the new rates and prices of SkyShowtime offer?
According to the company, the advertising slot will offer “all the box office hits from SkyShowtime, new and exclusive series, and great local original programming at a great price.” And it adds that the launch “makes SkyShowtime the first major streaming service to launch an ad-supported plan in all its markets.”
The news of the advertising plan launch comes almost a year after the streaming service finished its releases in European markets and at a time when advertising plans have become a popular way to offer consumers more pricing options. In the industry, they are also considered a way to generate more revenue per user than ad-free services.
“SkyShowtime has always been committed to offering great entertainment at a great price,” said Monty Sarhan, CEO of SkyShowtime. “We continue to invest in bringing the best of Hollywood and compelling local content to consumers in our markets. And with the launch of our new ad-supported plan, SkyShowtime continues to lead in value by offering consumers an even more affordable entertainment option for the whole family.”
SkyShowtime offers subscribers content from its partners’ brands, such as: Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks Animation, Paramount+, Showtime, Sky Studios, and Peacock.
Among the original series coming to SkyShowtime in 2024, highlights include A Gentleman in Moscow, The Apples Never Fall, Halo season 2, Ted, and The Tattooist of Auschwitz. SkyShowtime is also continuing to invest in its own original and local programming.
