Paramount Network (international)

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This article is about the international cable channel. For the American subscription channel formerly known as TNN, later Spike TV, see Paramount Network.

Paramount Network
Paramount Network.svg
Broadcast areaInternational
Programming
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
OwnerParamount International Networks
History
LaunchedMarch 30, 2012 (Spain)
September 5, 2013 (France)
February 14, 2014 (Hungary)
February 14, 2014 (Russia)
May 28, 2014 (Romania & Moldova)
November 14, 2014 (Latin America)
December 16, 2014 (Sweden)
March 19, 2015 (Poland)
February 2016 (Thailand)
February 27, 2016 (Italy)
April 15, 2017 (MENA)
2017 (Vietnam and Malaysia)
July 4, 2018 (United Kingdom)
June 1, 2019 (Philippines)
January 12, 2021 (Czechia)
February 1, 2021 (Singapore)
September 27, 2021 (TransVision, Indonesia)
October 1, 2021 (myTV Super, Hong Kong)
October 15, 2021 (Cable TV, Hong Kong)
December 9, 2021 (Brunei)
February 22, 2022 (Africa)
ClosedSeptember 1, 2020 (MENA)
January 12, 2021 (Romania & Moldova)
December 31, 2021 (Finland)
January 1, 2022 (Denmark & Sweden)
January 17, 2022 (Italy)
January 19, 2022 (United Kingdom)
Former namesParamount Channel

Paramount Network is a brand of several television channels operated by Paramount International Networks that showcase the Paramount Pictures film catalogue, and selected TV series from Paramount Global's television productions. The channel was first launched in Spain on March 30, 2012, and in the years since, the channel has operated in a number of territories across Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia. It was formerly known as the Paramount Channel (which is still used in some countries).[1]

History[]

As Paramount Channel[]

Logo of Paramount Channel prior to the rebranding as the Paramount Network in some countries

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[]

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 torwards 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, the UK/Irish version of Paramount Network will be 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 being removed from Digital Terrestrial Television in Italy on January 17, 2022.[19] This was later confirmed, with Mediaset acquiring the positions left unused on DTT.[20] It was also announced that channels' satellite signals would also get cut, including from paid TV services of Sky Italy,[21] the same day as the DTT signal.

Programming[]

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 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s were broadcast in Hungary, Poland, Romania, 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[]

EMMAA & Australia

  • Paramount Channel France
  • Paramount Channel Poland - formerly Viacom Bink!
  • Paramount Channel Russia
  • Paramount Channel Ukraine
  • Paramount Network Asia (2021)
  • Paramount Network Czech Republic - formerly Comedy Central from 2015 to 2021
  • Paramount Network Hungary (2020) - formerly RTL Spike (Licensed by RTL Group)
  • Paramount Network Spain (2018)
  • Spike Netherlands - formerly TeenNick from 2011 to 2015.

The Americas

  • Paramount Network Canada (co-owned by Bell Media)
  • Paramount Network Latin America (2020)
    • Paramount Network Brazil (2020) - formerly VH1 from 2005 to 2014
  • Paramount Network USA (2018)

Defunct Channels

  • Paramount Network Denmark (2019–2022) - formerly Comedy Central from 2014 to 2019
  • Paramount Network Finland (2019–2022)
  • Paramount Network Italy (2016–2022) - formerly Paramount Channel from 2016 to 2019
  • Paramount Network Sweden (2019–2022) - formerly Comedy Central from 2009 to 2019
  • Paramount Network UK (2018–2022) - (now part of Channel 5) replaced 5Spike and succeeded by 5Action in 2022
  • Spike Australia (2016–2022)

References[]

  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. ^ WIKI