Monty Sarhan
SkyShowtime, the new Comcast and ViacomCBS joint venture streaming service, announced that Monty Sarhan will lead the pan-European streamer as its CEO. Based out of London, Sarhan was most recently SVP of Content acquisition at Comcast Cable and has previously worked at MGM-owned Epix, as well as ViacomCBS.
“Monty is ideally suited to take the reins of SkyShowtime, drawing upon his extensive experience spanning the entertainment industry, having worked in programming, strategy and distribution at subscription services and across multichannel video programming distribution, video-on-demand and direct-to-consumer platforms,” Andrea Zappia, EVP & CEO of New Markets & Businesses at Sky, said in a memo to staff.
“Monty’s career at the forefront of both content and technology, his ability to scale businesses and his knowledge of both joint venture partners make him the perfect leader for the business as we bring the very best entertainment, movies and original series from the ViacomCBS, Sky and NBCUniversal portfolio of brands to SkyShowtime,” commented Raffaele Annecchino, President & CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International, in another memo.
SkyShowtime will bring together entertainment, movies, and original series from the NBCUniversal, Sky and ViacomCBS portfolio of brands, including titles from Showtime, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+ Originals, Sky Studios, Universal Pictures, and Peacock. The service’s vast slate will span all genres and audience categories, including scripted dramas, kids and family, key franchises, premiere movies, local programming, documentaries/factual content, and more.
The new SVOD service is expected to launch this year, subject to regulatory approval. It will ultimately be available to consumers 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.
The partnership will be structured as a joint venture, with equal investment and joint control by ViacomCBS and Comcast. Further detail on the SkyShowtime service offering, including subscription price, will be announced at a later date.