Multiple sources point to string of senior departures and threat of redundancies amid Paramount takeover activity
A flurry of senior exec exits and the impending threat of redundancies has left insiders at European streamer SkyShowtime questioning the future of the Comcast-Paramount joint venture, Broadcast has learned.
Multiple sources have pointed to unrest at the company, which was launched in 2022 and operates in more than 20 countries across the Nordics, Iberia, CEE and the Netherlands.
Former HBO Max exec Brett Horowitz, who had been senior vice-president of D2C planning & trading, is among those to have departed, alongside ex-Disney+ staffer Marc Killin, who had been director of trading.
Netflix and Prime Video alum Antonio Abalos, most recently SkyShowtime’s vice-president of D2C marketing, brand & creative, has also left, as has chief compliance officer Monica Mahay, who exited last month.
SkyShowtime confirmed their departures but it is not clear whether the roles will be directly replaced. Broadcast understands that in some cases employees have taken on extra responsibilities, while in others the streamer has chosen not to make direct replacements.
Insiders across multiple departments at the joint venture told Broadcast that these departures, along with the impending acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery by Paramount, has led to unease at the company with an expectation that redundancies at its London HQ are to follow.
It is understood that ahead of the proposed WBD-Paramount deal closing in 2027, there are plans to quietly fold SkyShowtime into Paramount+ next year.
That move would precede the ultimate plan of bringing Paramount+ and HBO Max together as one united platform, should the mega-acquisition complete.
Sources suggest that if plans to absorb SkyShowtime go ahead, London HQ roles performing back-office functions such as HR, legal, finance and IT, are likely to be cut to avoid duplication with Paramount UK operations, although regional roles across the platform’s 22 territories retained. Sources also suggest that job losses could reach around 150 – roughly 50% of the current broad headcount of 300.
SkyShowtime would not be drawn on the redundancies, but a spokesperson said: “SkyShowtime continues to operate under its established joint venture agreement and it’s business as usual.”
A Paramount Skydance spokesperson told Broadcast: “SkyShowtime continues to operate under its established joint venture agreement. We don’t comment on speculation about contractual matters between shareholders.”
SkyShowtime offers a raft of shows from Paramount and Comcast divisions including Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks Animation, Paramount+, Showtime, Sky Studios and Peacock, as well as originals. Titles range from flagship series such as Dexter, House, Star Trek and Yellowstone, to The Office, MobLand, The Day of the Jackal and Tulsa King.
However, the streamer’s future has been unclear since Paramount was acquired by David Ellison last year. Since then, Comcast has also unveiled plans to spin off NBC Universal and Sky, leaving the streamer’s future uncertain.
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