Broadcast Article - Will Paramount be a success?

General entertainment channels have a mixed record in the UK, with low budgets and a lack of exclusives putting paid to many. Stephen Arnell assesses the outlook for C5’s new stablemate

On US Independence Day, Paramount Network made its UK debut as part of Viacom chief executive Bob Bakish’s strategy of promoting flagship brands worldwide.

Viacom will use the free-to-air channel to target “Generation X, millennials and fans of cinematic storytelling, iconic moments and non-stop action”.

Free-to-air general entertainment channels have a mixed record in the UK, with a combination of low budgets, poor distribution and a lack of distinctive exclusive programming putting paid to the likes of Sony Entertainment Television (2011-18, rebranded as Sony Channel in 2016), Virgin 1/Channel 1 (2007-11), ABC1 (2004-7), FTN (2003-7) and Carlton Select (1995-2003).

A common thread with many of these channels (and ITV’s pay channel Encore, now solely a box-set entity) is that at launch they tend to both over-promise and under-deliver.

Billboards, on-air promotions, themed events and press releases couldn’t disguise the fact that Encore, in the long months before original commissions began to air, had little to distinguish it from ITV3.

UKTV’s pay entertainment channel W (formerly Watch) is still a work in progress, continuing to forge an identity after a misjudged launch back in 2008 and frequent rebrands.

Betting the farm on Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan (Richard & Judy’s New Position) as Watch’s big original launch commission failed to attract viewers to the fledgling channel. Ratings swiftly tanked and Watch became ‘talked about TV’ – for all the wrong reasons.

Those with long memories may remember Ray Winstone’s incongruous on-screen promotion of Disney’s shortlived family friendly ABC1, which should be fi led under the category ‘seemed like a good idea at the time’.

Paramount Network looks set for a comparatively soft launch, with promos very much in keeping with the generic approach of similar offerings such as Sony Entertainment Television.

Considering the hyperbole that has surrounded other launches, Comedy Central and Paramount Network International executive vice-president Jill Offman has provided a restrained rationale for the latest addition to Viacom’s family of channels, claiming that viewers still value “intelligently scheduled” linear entertainment channels despite on-demand growth.

Paramount Network debuted in the US earlier this year, boasting big-budget dramas such as mini-series Waco and Kevin Costner drama Yellowstone; exclusive comedies American Woman and Nobodies; and docu-series It Was Him: The Many Murders Of Ed Edwards and the upcoming Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story.

Replacing male-skewed Spike, the channel inherited first runs of Lip Sync Battle and reality series Ink Master and Bar Rescue. At this stage, Paramount Network UK appears to be bereft of these eye-catching and promotable programmes, which may not play well for the brand.

Back in 2015, Spike USA’s epic Ancient Egypt drama Tut played on Channel 5 in the UK, rather than its British sibling. This may be the case with Yellowstone, which, despite tepid reviews, scored strong US ratings for the first episode, with almost 5 million viewers in total, ranking as 2018’s top summer drama debut on both cable and broadcast networks.

“Paramount currently lacks a big hitter to enable the channel to punch through in the way Fox’s The Walking Dead has”

The show currently rates as ad-supported cable’s most-watched scripted premiere since 2016, when The People vs OJ Simpson pulled in 8.3 million viewers.

As Costner’s Hatfields & McCoys 2012 mini-series worked well for Paramount stablemate Channel 5, there may be a desire to repeat the success with Yellowstone – although other prestige acquisitions, such as the Dallas revival (2012-14), Joey (2004-6) and Gotham (seasons one to two, 2014-15), failed after promising opening audiences.

Paramount Network UK’s early schedules are heavily reliant on ’80s and ’90s movies and US drama that has previously appeared on British free and pay channels, such as CSI: Miami, The Gilmore Girls, Heroes Reborn and Agent Carter. Programming such as Will & Grace may be shared with other Viacom channels, lessening brand identity.

UK premieres

Digital terrestrial premieres include ABC’s cancelled Designated Survivor (also on Netflix in the UK) and a genuine UK debut for sitcom The Mick, which Fox dropped after season two.

Reruns of Suits, including the free-to- air premiere of Megan Markle’s final season, should provide some ratings ballast, but Paramount currently lacks a big hitter to enable the channel to punch through in the way Fox’s The Walking Dead has.

The success of the zombie drama emboldened Fox UK to become a stronger presence in the market, picking up high-profile shows such as Legion and The Orville, and commissioning its first original drama series, Deep State.

If Paramount Network UK secures first runs of Lip Sync Battle US, it could provide a valuable hook for the schedule, while its movie line-up has the chance of attracting decent audiences, as long as potential viewers are made aware of them.

Classic movie channel Talking Pictures regularly pulls in audiences of 100,000+ for vintage titles, so Paramount has a fighting chance of achieving figures in the 150,000+ range, on a par with those enjoyed by the free-to-air Sony Movie Channel.

Films lined up for the launch period on Paramount Network UK include Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, Indecent Proposal, Footloose, Something’s Gotta Give and St Elmo’s Fire – a slight skew towards female viewers. Generic TV movies play in the afternoons.

“The lack of standout shows may be a consequence of Viacom head office’s decision to roll out the Paramount Network brand quickly”

At first glance, there’s not a lot to attract the target audience of Gen Xers and millennials – although, if eventually available, showings of younger-skewing dramas such as Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger (Amazon Prime Video) and Netflix’s upcoming The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina could help redress the probable demographic tilt towards over 35s.

Last year, Sony paved the way with the licensing of Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black. 

The lack of standout shows may be a consequence of Viacom head office’s decision to roll out the Paramount Network brand quickly internationally, and stronger programming may become available later than would otherwise be ideal for the channel.

All channels experience growing pains, so if internal expectations are not unreasonably high over the opening months, Paramount Network UK could develop a distinct identity with an advertiser-friendly profile.

As a free-to-air channel, it will have the advantage of a potentially large viewership, which the likes of AMC are unable to reach, despite the presence of first-run high-end exclusive shows like The Terror and Pierce Brosnan’s The Son.

Cross-promotion from C5 and family will also be an advantage over other channels. The network is scheduled and programmed by the C5 editorial team, who will no doubt be aware of the perils of cannibalisation, as Viacom’s UK suite of channels includes a large percentage of US-originated programming, especially 5 USA, 5 Star and 5 Spike.

Catch-up has contributed to the lessening of the importance of scheduling, but there will still be a need to avoid clashes of similar programming among Viacom’s stable of channels.

If share targets have been set for Paramount Network UK, a respectable 0.6% should be in line with expectations, in the ballpark of other free-to- air channels such as CBS Action/Reality, 5 Star, Quest Red, Really, Yesterday and Sony Movie Channel.

Stephen Arnell is a channel strategist and former ITV director of channel development