Paramount+ turns to crime to boost UK subscriber base

New streaming service Paramount+ could soon benefit from a swathe of new content. The operation has reportedly commissioned the second largest slate of Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) titles in the UK.

According to Ampere Analysis, Paramount+ holds now the second largest slate of Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) titles commissioned in the UK in 2022, with 13 new commissions so far this year, second only to Netflix.

In Q1 2022, Paramount+ expanded into Western Europe with seven of 12 new commissions set to be produced in the UK. The second slate of original titles in Q2 2022 consisted of eight more, six from the UK.

The UK now boasts the highest number of Paramount+ original commissions outside the US.

Ampere Analyst Zuzana Henkova said: “Paramount+ is conscious of how crowded the UK streaming market is becoming, and their decision to distribute with Sky+ will help tackle this challenge by providing instant subscriber reach. One important differentiator for Paramount+ is its UK-made content and this will also be key to engaging Sky's customer base who are heavier-than-average viewers of UK content.”

Seven of the 13 commissions have ‘Crime & Thriller’ as their primary or secondary genre, apparently reflecting our interest in the subject. This slate includes three scripted ‘Crime & Thriller’ series, including an adaptation of Jess Ryder’s 2018 psychological thriller The Ex-Wife. There are four unscripted series falling into the Documentary Crime & Thriller category, including The Box, a documentary on serial killers presented by British detective Chris Loudon.

The service entered the UK streaming market June 22, but has been criticised for its lack of 4k UHD and immersive audio.