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Another player is joining the streaming wars in Ireland this week, with Paramount+ bringing a mountain of content for €7.99 a month.
Global entertainment giant Paramount is launching its streaming service in Ireland and the UK on 22 June.
Launched in the US last year, Paramount+ is the media conglomerate’s horse in the streaming race. In Ireland, it will now compete with established players dominating the small screen such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and, most recently, Disney+.
The launch announcement was made at a star-studded event in London yesterday (20 June), hosted by Graham Norton and attended by some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Kevin Costner, Viola Davis, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Shannon and Sylvester Stallone.
Paramount+ is a premium streaming video-on-demand service that will offer more than 8,000 hours of content for individuals and families, including blockbuster movies, popular TV shows and originals.
It features content from brands such as Showtime, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures.
“From over 100 years of storytelling experience with our Hollywood studio and production hubs worldwide, we know how to make great, global content,” said Tom Ryan, CEO and president of streaming at Paramount.
“We’re the only service where you’ll see Sylvester Stallone, SpongeBob SquarePants, Star Trek and South Park all in one place, and all of this makes Paramount+ what a streaming service is meant to be.”
After launching in Ireland and the UK, Paramount+ will continue its expansion to Italy in September, followed by Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France in December. A total of 45 markets will have been reached by the end of this year.
The streaming service also unveiled plans for new international original productions, with the aim of producing 150 international originals by 2025. This pipeline includes titles such as Murder of God’s Banker, Mask: Marie Antoinette’s Serial Killer, Circeo and Sinola’s First Lady.
Ahead of the launch, Paramount+ commissioned 20 original shows for the UK and Ireland market, with more in the pipeline.
“This is a moment to celebrate the incredible creative firepower of our producers, our creatives, our writers, and – of course – our on-screen talent,” said Maria Kyriacou, president of Australia, Canada, Israel and the UK at Paramount.
Viewers in Ireland can sign up for Paramount+ on its website and through a range of connected TV devices for €7.99 monthly or €79.90 annually, following a free seven-day trial.
The service will also launch on Sky platforms in Ireland and the UK as part of a new multi-year distribution agreement that includes the extended Paramount portfolio of paid TV channels.
While Netflix recently upped its prices for subscribers in Ireland, a recent study has suggested that it is one of the best value countries in the world for streaming Amazon Prime and Disney+. Looking at the monthly cost and number of titles available, Uswitch ranked Ireland as the fifth best country to have an Amazon Prime Video subscription and the eighth best for Disney+.
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