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Paramount Network (international)

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Paramount Network (International)
Product typeTelevision broadcaster
OwnerParamount Global
CountryUnited States
Introduced
List
Discontinued
List

Paramount Network, formerly but still known in France as the Paramount Channel,[1] is an international television channel brand owned and operated by the Paramount International Networks division of Paramount Global that showcase its selected television productions and the film catalogue of its filming division, Paramount Pictures. First launched in Spain on 30 March 2012, the brand has since been or was operated in territories across Europe, East Africa, Latin America and Asia.

History

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As Paramount Channel

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To date, Paramount Channel has launched in Spain in March 2012, France in September 2013, Hungary in February 2014, Russia in January 2014,[2] Romania on January 14, 2014,[3] Latin America in September 1995 until 2003, but returns again in the brand new look of November 2014,[4] Sweden in December 2014, Poland in March 2015, Italy and Thailand in February and May 2016, and in the Middle East in April 2017.[5]

Relaunch

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Paramount Network logo without the mountain, used since 2018

In May 2018, Viacom announced that the original Paramount Channel in Spain would relaunch as a local version of the U.S Paramount Network, switching to a general entertainment format with television series and films.[6] The same relaunch as the Paramount Network occurred in Italy on March 16, 2019,[7] and in Latin America on April 14, 2020.[8] On October 20, 2020, it was announced that the Hungarian version would also rebrand as the Paramount Network, and the rebranding date was confirmed on November 23 that year. Paramount Channel in Hungary rebranded as the Paramount Network on December 17, 2020.[9][10] In December 2020, ViacomCBS announced Prima Comedy Central in the Czech Republic will be rebranded as Paramount Network.[11] Paramount Network launched effectively on January 12, 2021. On January 26, 2021, it was announced on the Paramount Channel Asia official Facebook page that ViacomCBS announced that the Paramount Channel in Thailand, Malaysia, and the Pacific Islands (including the Philippines) was to be rebranded as Paramount Network on February 1, 2021.

Following the beginning of the launch of Paramount+ in March 2021, and its international expansion, this has led to Paramount Global to close the Paramount Network channels operating in the Nordic countries by the end of 2021, to put more resources towards Paramount+.

In August 2021, Paramount Networks International agreed a deal with Comcast Corporation's Sky Group[12][13][14] to launch the Paramount+ streaming service in various European markets via Sky's set-top boxes[15] and devices.[16] To reduce overall branding confusion with Paramount+, Paramount Network in the UK was rebranded as 5Action on 19 January 2022, without any overall changes to its programme schedule.[17][18]

Less than two weeks before the UK rebranding, rumors begin to surge about Paramount Network and Spike in Italy closing on January 17, 2022.[19] This was later confirmed, with Mediaset acquiring the positions left unused on DTT,[20] and Paramount Network being replaced with the channel Twentyseven.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, all the channels under the control of Paramount Global were discontinued from Russia, including the Paramount Channel, on April 28, 2022. The channel would, however, continue broadcasting in CIS regions and Ukraine, until it was permanently discontinued on January 4, 2023,[21][22][23] leaving France as the only region still using the Paramount Channel name instead of Paramount Network, and coincidentally the only region in Europe where the channel coexists alongside Paramount+.

By April 1, 2024, Paramount Network ceased operations in Southeast Asia following the arrival of both streaming platforms, Paramount+ which will launch in June via Blast TV, and Pluto TV which will launch in the near future.

Programming

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Launched in September 1995, The Paramount Channel was originally transmitted in Latin America as the launch day and primarily broadcast TV shows such as drama, sitcoms and animated TV shows.

The original Paramount Channel in Spain primarily broadcast films from the 1980s and 1990s, as well as recent television series. The international versions that followed shared a similar format but never the same programming. For instance, films from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s were broadcast in France, recent TV series and 1990s and 2000s films were broadcast in Italy, and films and TV series from the 1930s, 1970s, 1980s, 2000s, and 2010s were broadcast in Hungary, Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Russia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. In addition to airing films, some versions in other countries are also airing combat sporting events from mixed martial arts promotion Bellator MMA.

Following the rebranding of the channel (along with international Spike channels) as Paramount Network, it now adds series from its U.S. domestic counterpart as well as from the television production companies of ViacomCBS and from acquisition of syndicated programming. In some countries, shows from Comedy Central are also aired on the channel.

List of channels

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Europe

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America

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Defunct channels

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  • The Paramount Channel UK (1995–97) – later Paramount Comedy until 2009, then Comedy Central
  • 5Spike UK (2015–2020) – this channel coexisted alongside Paramount Network in UK
  • Paramount Channel Arabia (2017–20)
  • Paramount Channel Romania & Moldova (2014–21)
  • Paramount Network Austria (2018–21)
  • Paramount Network UK (2018–22) – renamed to 5Action in 2022
  • Paramount Network Denmark (2019–22) – formerly Comedy Central from 2014 to 2019
  • Paramount Network Finland (2019–22)
  • Paramount Network Italy (2016–19; 2019–22)[a]
  • Spike Italy (2019–22) – this channel coexisted alongside Paramount Network in Italy
  • Paramount Network Sweden (2009–22) – formerly Comedy Central from 2009 to 2019
  • Spike Australia (2016–22)
  • RTL Spike Hungary (2016–2021) – this channel coexisted alongside Paramount Channel/Network in Hungary, brand licensed from RTL Group
  • Spike Russia and CIS (2017–21) – this channel coexisted alongside Paramount Channel in Russia and CIS
  • Paramount Channel Russia and CIS (2014–23)
  • Paramount Network Asia (2021–24)[a] – this feed closed in Vietnam and Hong Kong in 2023

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g formerly a Paramount Channel brand
  2. ^ a b formerly a Spike brand

References

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  1. ^ "Paramount Channel". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  2. ^ Barraclough, Leo (February 18, 2014). "Paramount Channel Reaches Out to Russia, Hungary". Variety. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  3. ^ Cerban, Madalina (May 29, 2014). "Televiziunea de filme Paramount Channel s-a lansat în România". mediafax.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  4. ^ de la Fuente, Anna Marie (September 10, 2014). "Paramount to Launch Movie Channel in Latin America". Variety. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  5. ^ Newbould, Chris (April 11, 2017). "Paramount Movie Channel launches in the Middle East".
  6. ^ Rolfe, Pamela (May 21, 2018). "Spain Getting First Paramount Network Outside U.S." The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  7. ^ "Paramount Channel diventa... Paramount Network!, le news di Paramount Network Italia". March 19, 2019. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  8. ^ Bertran, Agustin (April 17, 2020). "Paramount Channel cambia de nombre a Paramount Network y estrena serie original producida en México". NexTV News Latin America (in European Spanish). Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  9. ^ "Egy csatornát megszüntet, egyet indít, egyet pedig átnevez a ViacomCBS". DTV News (in Hungarian). October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  10. ^ Akos (November 23, 2020). "ViacomCBS to Make Changes to Its Hungarian Pay-TV Portfolio". CRT. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  11. ^ "Paramount Network set for Czech Republic". Broadband TV News. December 4, 2020.
  12. ^ "ViacomCBS Partners with Sky to Launch Paramount Plus in Europe". August 5, 2021.
  13. ^ "Paramount Plus is coming to Sky". August 5, 2021.
  14. ^ "Viacom, Sky Group sign distribution agreement for Paramount Plus". August 6, 2021.
  15. ^ "Paramount+ launches on Sky Q in 2022". August 11, 2021.
  16. ^ "How to watch Paramount Plus in the UK – when is it released?".
  17. ^ "'Paramount Network' Channel is Changing to 5Action". December 22, 2021.
  18. ^ "Paramount Network to relaunch as 5Action".
  19. ^ "I canali Viacom Paramount Network e Spike lasciano il digitale terrestre".
  20. ^ "Mediaset vuole i canali 27 e 49 del digitale terrestre che lascerà Viacom".
  21. ^ "Конец эфира Paramount Channel CIS (Russia) (04.01.2023)".
  22. ^ "Viasat: Прекращение трансляции канала Paramount Channel".
  23. ^ "Paramount Channel withdrawn from Ukraine".
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