SkyShowtime – the joint venture between Comcast and Paramount Global – has revealed key appointments for the European streaming service, including chief programming.
John Farrar, Executive Director, BBC Select, has been appointed Head of Programming. diverse can reveal. The CEO joins from BBC Studios, where he led direct-to-consumer programming strategy in his dual role as Global Director of Video on Demand and Editor-in-Chief of BBC Select’s North American SVOD Service.
Farrar was also part of the team that developed BritBox, the joint streaming project between BBC Studios and ITV.
Reporting to Monty Sarhan, CEO of SkyShowtime, Farrar will be responsible for programming strategy, overseeing the platform’s pipeline of studio content, and building a programming team across SkyShowtime’s 20 markets to develop original and local content. Farrar will also lead the acquisitions, scheduling and editing, as well as the content operations functions.
First unveiled in August 2021, SkyShowtime aims to sit in European markets not already served by Paramount Plus, which will be the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The streaming service, set to launch in Europe later this year, will feature TV premieres of theatrical firsts from Paramount and Universal; new written series from Showtime, Paramount+, Sky Studios, and Peacock; local native programming; and kids and family programming from Nickelodeon, DreamWorks and Illumination.
Farrar said: “I am very excited to take on this role which, for fans of the great programme, is the most exciting job in broadcasting in Europe. I can’t wait to start working with Monti and the team on how we can take a unique approach to bring SkyShowtime, with its fantastic content pipeline, to the masses. across the continent.”
Elsewhere, Raquel Berzoza has been appointed Regional General Manager for Iberia, who will be responsible for SkyShowtime’s expansion into Spain and Portugal.
You will build and lead the regional distribution and partnerships group, and oversee marketing and content across Iberia. She joined from NBCUniversal International Networks and DTC, where she was Vice President of Affiliate Sales and Lead for the Iberian Country. Berzosa has extensive experience negotiating with partners in Spain and Portugal, and helped launch the Universal+ On Demand service, which is currently available on three of the four major platforms in Spain.
Headquartered in Madrid, Berzoza will also report to Sarhan. She is joined by Gabor Harsanyi and Henriette Petersen, Regional General Managers for Central Eastern Europe and Northern Europe, respectively.
Brzoza said: “This role is a dream come true for someone as passionate about entertainment as myself. I am delighted to join Monti’s leadership team. The distributors have been overwhelmingly interested and I look forward to bringing the amazing SkyShowtime content to our fans in Spain and Portugal.”
Finally, Richard Thurston has also joined SkyShowtime as Chief Human Resources Officer. Thurston joins the team after 10 years at Sky where he held several leadership roles, including his most recent team role as a Human Resources Manager. Prior to joining Sky, Thurston worked for the BBC as Director of Human Resources for the BBC News Group, supporting teams around the world. Prior to that, he spent 7 years in ITV. Thurston will report to Sarhan.
“I have been fortunate enough to be involved in laying the foundations for SkyShowtime from the start, so the opportunity to continue to be a part of the journey of this unique business as it grows and connects with clients is very exciting,” said Thurston. “I am excited to create inclusive and supportive environments, where people can be themselves and to innovate and grow. I look forward to working with the rest of the leadership team and welcoming the incredible talent to SkyShowtime.”
Sarhan said: “The company’s greatest resource is its people, and one of my top priorities was to recruit individuals with a proven leadership track record to join SkyShowtime. These three talented individuals are all brilliant leaders who put people first – from our subscribers to our teammates – and I’m proud that they will join us as we build the next great streaming service for Europe.
The platform will eventually be available in Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
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