Viacom debuts Paramount+ as standalone subscription service with Telia Finland

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has launched its Paramount+ SVOD service in Finland in partnership with Telia.

Paramount+ initially launched in the Nordics in 2017 as a set-top box and TV Everywhere application available to higher tier subscribers of pay TV operators. The Telia partnership marks the first time that the service will be available direct to consumers on a standalone subscription basis.

In the Nordics, Paramount+ offers a first pay TV window for Paramount Pictures’ new movie releases alongside an array of classic films, TV dramas and programming from Viacom-owned brands MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and Bellator MMA.

The service will be marketed as a standalone branded destination on Telia’s platform. A subscription to Paramount+ will be available to all Telia TV customers for an additional €7.95 per month.

Jesper Dahl, general manager for Viacom in the Nordics said: “Paramount+ has proven to be a great success in Nordic markets and we’re delighted to now expand the service in Finland. With Paramount+, our partners can offer their customers exclusive and unique content from Viacom’s broad content portfolio, including kids content from Nickelodeon, new movie releases and classic films from Paramount Pictures’ as well as top performing shows from Comedy Central and MTV.”

Olli-Pekka Takanen, head of TV and media at Telia Finland, said: “We are excited to add new content into Telia TV. Telia TV is a service open to all customers regardless of their operator. This means that anyone in Finland interested in Paramount Pictures’ new movie releases now have the opportunity to sit back and enjoy great movies through Telia TV.”

Separately, VIMN has teamed up with Deutsche Telekom AG to launch Nick+, a branded Nickelodeon area on Deutsche Telekom’s MagentaTV service, on March 1. The partnership includes 900 episodes of Nickelodeon content from animated hits like SpongeBob SquarePants, The Loud Houseand Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as live-action series such as Henry Danger, The Thundermans, and local Nickelodeon Germany productionSpotlight.

“Partnering with Deutsche Telekom to bring Nick+ to their SVOD platform represents an important part of our strategy in this region,” said Raffaele Annecchino, president and MD of VINBN Southern and Western Europe, Middle East and Africa cluster.

“The launch of Nick+ not only speaks to the power of the Nickelodeon brand, but is also a great example of the ongoing evolution of our business model to maximize our offer for digital consumers by delivering our content to them on the platforms they prefer.”