Paramount+ introducing Premium and Advertising Tiers, UKTV completes rollout of U Masterbrand, top tips for metadata copy, Critic's Picks, and more...
1. Paramount+ has confirmed it will introduce its Premium and Advertising Tiers on 20 November.
The two new tiers will join the existing Standard tier in the UK and Ireland.
Marco Nobili , Executive Vice President and International General Manager, Paramount+, said: “Building on the success of our multi-tier strategy in Canada and Australia – where nearly half of our Direct-To-Consumer sign-ups come from a non-Standard plan – we are excited to bring our Premium and ad-supported tiers to the UK and Ireland. Offering choice to our subscribers is key to the growth of Paramount+, especially as the demand for ad-supported tiers rises across Europe.”
The ‘Basic (with ads)’ plan will offer fans full access to Paramount+ for ￡4.99 per month in the UK and €5.99 per month in Ireland, enabling streaming on one device at a time, in full HD.
Priced at ￡10.99/€11.99 per month, the Premium plan will include 4K UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos on selected titles. Premium plan subscribers will also be able to stream on up to four devices concurrently, with the option to download content to watch offline.
The price of the existing Standard plan will change to ￡7.99/€8.99 per month, for ongoing access to the entire content offering on Paramount+, for up to two concurrent streams in full HD1, with the ability to download and watch on the go.
2. UKTV has completed the rollout of its U Masterbrand with the commercial broadcaster’s pay channels, Gold & Alibi, transitioning to U&Gold and U&alibi across paid linear and on demand platforms.
The U Masterbrand initially launched in July with UKTV’s family of free-to-air channels becoming U&Dave, U&Drama, U&Yesterday and U&W, and its free streaming service, formerly UKTV Play, transitioning to U. With Eden having moved free-to-air as U&eden in October, the renaming of the pay channels to U&Gold and U&alibi unites the full UKTV network – pay channels, free-to-air channels, and free streaming service – under the U brand.
U&alibi is dedicated to crime drama, while U&Gold celebrates the best of British comedy. UKTV and Sky recently announced a multi-year extension to their long-standing partnership, securing carriage for the channels across Sky platforms in the UK and Ireland.
Penny Brough , UKTV’s Chief Marketing Officer, commented: “With our free-to-air portfolio and the U streaming service going from strength to strength under the U Masterbrand, I’m so excited to be bringing the same bold approach, with its warmth and personality, to our pay channels U&Gold and U&alibi. The roll out of U has involved the work and dedication of our teams across the entire organisation so it’s a real moment to see the full set of channels finally under the U banner, connecting and better leveraging our brands as we continue our transition to a digital first and audience-led business.”
The launch of the U Masterbrand supports UKTV’s growth strategy, focussed on enhancing its streaming service and growing its linear channels, by making it easier for users to navigate both online and on-air, as well as creating a halo effect in brand marketing across the portfolio.
3. With a pair of major deals on the horizon in early 2025, TKO Group Holdings continued to see year-over-year growth in its third-quarter earnings.
The Endeavor -controlled company, which owns Ultimate Fighting Championship and the WWE , reported revenues of $681.2 million, net income of $57.7 million, and adjusted EBITDA of $310 million, all up substantially from the year prior. With the results in hand, Endeavor told the Street that it expects to hit “the upper end of the range of $2.670 billion to $2.745 billion” for revenues, and $1.220 billion to $1.240 billion in adjusted EBITDA for the year.
4. Specialist publisher Future is closing down Future Studios' TV production operations. The unit was formed following the 2019 acquisition of Barcroft Studios . Future is currently searching for a new CEO ahead of Jon Steinberg stepping down.
5. Netflix has officially confirmed that the fifth — and final — season of Stranger Things will start streaming next year. Aside from that, the streamer also released the titles for all eight episodes in the new season, which might provide some hints as to what to expect:
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6. Warner Bros. Discovery said Thursday its streaming platform Max added 7.2 million global subscribers in the third quarter.
It marked the biggest quarterly growth for the streaming platform since its inception. Max now had 110.5 million subscribers as of Sept. 30. Warner Bros. Discovery’s flagship streaming service has been growing its subscriber base at a fast clip this year since expanding internationally during the first half.
News Source CNBC : Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) earnings Q3 2024
Top tips for writing compelling TV metadata copy
A rich and compelling content discovery experience requires editorial that is accurate, detailed and captivating so your audience feels empowered and excited to watch chosen TV shows and films or, perhaps, try something new.
TV Content Editor Roger Crow is part of our dedicated and hardworking team based in Howden.
He shares some top tips for writing compelling copy for TV metadata, talks about the importance of length and tone, and highlights common tropes to avoid.
Read his blog here: https://lnkd.in/gxG5D88N
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