Sky has announced a long-term licensing agreement with CBS Corporation, giving it exclusive rights to Showtime.
The deal will see Sky Atlantic become the exclusive home of Showtime across all territories in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy.
In the past, Sky has licenced selected Showtime content on a programme by programme basis.
As of this year, Sky’s 21 million customers will have exclusive access to all future Showtime series, such as Billions and the return of Twin Peaks.
In addition to new drama and comedy series, customers will have on-demand access to the Showtime back catalogue of hit shows via Sky Go, Now TV and Sky Online.
Gary Davey, managing director of content at Sky, said, “This is one of the most important content deals Sky has ever agreed, cementing Sky’s position as the market leader in Europe for world class drama.
“We are enormously proud that Sky will be the exclusive home to new Showtime programmes for many years to come, building on a relationship that has grown over time.”
For CBS, this is the largest deal to date for Showtime, and it is the first time its content portfolio has been licensed to a single media company across multiple European territories.
Armando Nuñez, president and CEO at CBS Global Distribution Group, said: “This is the most significant international deal in the history of Showtime, and further signals the value and prestige of its content brand in the global marketplace.”
“This deal shows how robust and profitable Showtime has become as a stand-alone product and revenue stream. We look forward to working with our outstanding partners at Sky to present Showtime to its customers across Europe and on a wide range of their platforms.”
