Paramount International boss Raffaele Annecchino has talked up the streamer for “launching quicker than others” in key European markets, as he unveiled a tied-up with global Lupin and Narcos production house Gaumont and set titles from France, Argentina and Germany.
Annecchino said the media giant’s global distribution offering in key territories means it is moving quicker than competitors as they race to commission the best content from Europe and expand footprint.
He pointed to fast launches in France via Canal+ and the distribution deal struck with Sky in Germany, Italy and the UK.
“We find these models that allow us to grow quicker and more sustainably,” he added, while talking up Paramount AVoD Pluto TV, which now has 64M subscribers and is well established.
“Using a market-by-market approach we can use legacy partnerships to diversify our D2C and quickly continue our expansion.”
Annecchino also said Paramount, which recently rebranded from ViacomCBS to focus on streaming, is building local production houses all over the world.
Gaumont deal
The Gaumont deal will see the global production house produce several originals in association with Paramount’s international studio, Viacom International Studios (VIS), as part of Paramount+’s plan to greenlight 50 new international scripted originals in 2022.
VIS will have access to Gaumont’s talent network in Paramount+ markets including Latin America and Europe. Gaumont has 40 projects in preparation or production at present across six offices.
The first show to come from the deal will be France’s Le Signal from Lupin showrunner François Uzan. After losing her beloved sister in a car accident, famous radio host Olivia Dormeuil moves to an old house on an isolated island with her family. But the change of scenery soon proves more challenging than expected when the family’s unspoken fears begin to take ghostly form and some inhabitants of the island start to die in strange circumstances.
A further three titles have been greenlit for development: France’s Impact, Argentina’s Desolate Future and Germany’s Anywhere, the latter of which is a dramedy from Bad Banks’ Jana Burbach.
Annecchino said partnerships such as the Gaumont deal are a “strategic asset.”
“At least one of these titles will become a global hit on Paramount+ and there is so much content and creativity from over the world,” he added. “We are building these financial deals that make us really sustainable.”