Unfortunately I would say that is biased toward the left just as Sky is toward the right. We do not have a centrist news channel as ABC and Sky are biased toward one side of politics.
Can you point to a specific example re ABC?
1 Like
What iām particularly interested in is what Comcast might do with Sky News (the real Sky News, not the crap you guys get down under) in the future. The current funding arrangements, made when Comcast first bought Sky, run until 2028. I could see Sky becoming more global in focus, maybe some sort of tie-up or merger with News Now?
There were previously plans to launch a global channel (NBC Sky World News) but COVID put paid to that idea. Theyād hired multiple reporters and even started building the studio, so they were quite far into the project before it was cancelled. I reckon that idea will end up being revived in some form.
1 Like
Elon Muskās X is set to launch an app āidenticalā to YouTubeās TV offering for smart televisions as early as next week, according to a report.
Muskās goal is to get users to watch ālong videos on a bigger screenā ā part of the billionaireās larger initiative to make X the āeverything app,ā according to Fortune, which reported the news citing anonymous sources.
āHe is set on competing with YouTube,ā the source told Fortune, adding that Xās forthcoming video app will first be available exclusively for Amazon and Samsung smart TVs.
Original report (paywall)
1 Like
1 Like
2 Likes
2 Likes
Canāt help but think Paramount are really butchering the Showtime brand, it feels like it used to be this premium cable network which created many iconic shows over the years, and itās just been left to the wayside of late.
I know they have to evolve in the media landscape, just feels like itās an afterthought now in the throw-all-the-eggs-in-one-basket approach to trying to get P+ to a profitable place.
By contrast, HBO still seems like a flagship brand and is still putting out a raft of great content.
4 Likes
But everything has itās moment in the sun and then something else comes along to take its place. Showtime didnāt have as much competition when it was just a cable network.
There have been way too many streaming services for all of them to be profitable. I expect to see more mergers.
Iām referring to the brand itself, not them folding the stand alone streaming service into Paramount+ which was inevitable with consolidation.
All the big players seem to be able to promote their brands within their streamers, Disney+ has Star, National Geographic, Pixar, Marvel etc and you know it cause they highlight and showcase all of their content from the various brands.
Paramount just arenāt doing the same, they barely promote Showtime, Nickelodeon, MTV etc as part of the services. They are all household names they should be reinforcing as part of the offering.
1 Like
Well, obviously the financials play a role in their available resources and what they can produce. The competition is going to affect their revenue and therefore the quality of their productions.
Showtimeās been dying for a while, though, long before P+ became a thing. Like you say, when was the last time they had one of those big shows that everyone talks about? Homeland? That ended four years ago.
Meanwhile, HBO has had House of the Dragon, Succession, Euphoriaā¦ the list goes on. I know Showtime has always been in HBOās shadow to some extent, but they seem to have given up completely. And this āParamount+ with Showtimeā is such a silly name. Theyāve actually renamed their linear channel to that now.
Agree they seem to have given up, and the renaming is just clunky and poorly thought out.
2 Likes
Hadnāt really thought about the way youāve listed it, but now that I have, I completely agree, Paramount+ highlighting their brands more than what they do could only be a good thing.
just looking at P+ on a desktop site at the moment, and the branded logos are way too far to scroll down, should be more obvious.
3 Likes
Itās not like any of the brands matter that much to Australian audiences though. Theyāre all American cable channel brands, most of which donāt even exist here. A majority of American households had a Pay TV subscription, Australia was never like that. They donāt even have a brand hub for their most prominent Australian brand, 10.
The only one Iād argue has any worthwhile value is Nickelodeon.
As for Showtime, they just brand all their Showtime content as Paramount Plus originals over here anyway. Iād argue Stan did a better job at promoting and using the Showtime brand than Paramount+ does now.
I believe they are Paramount+ Exclusives, rather than Originals.
Agree that Stan did a better job of promoting Showtime originals on their platform before a lot of this went to P+.
Tubi!
2 Likes
was a relevation for me when coupled with a VPN too 
2 Likes