Comcast and Paramount weigh shutting down European SkyShowtime venture

SentiSense · Published Sep 14, 2026, 3:00 AM ET · Updated Sep 28, 2026, 2:45 AM ET

On September 14, 2026, the board of SkyShowtime, the joint European streaming venture backed by Comcast and Paramount (via Skydance), sent CEO Monty Sarhan a letter citing a "competitive and challenging market," and the companies are now reviewing strategic options for the service, including a possible shutdown. No decision has been made. SkyShowtime launched in September 2022 across 22 European markets and has grown to about 6.2 million subscribers, with more than $1 billion invested by its parent companies.

Comcast and Paramount are reviewing strategic options, including a possible wind-down, for SkyShowtime, their joint European streaming venture also backed by Skydance, after the service's board sent CEO Monty Sarhan a letter on Monday, September 14, citing a "competitive and challenging market". Reuters reports no final decision has been made, and the report follows earlier stories from The Hollywood Reporter and Bloomberg.

SkyShowtime launched in September 2022 and now operates in 22 European markets, including Spain, Portugal, Denmark and Sweden. Its subscriber base grew from roughly 5.3 million at the end of 2023 to about 6.2 million at the end of 2024, and Comcast and Paramount have put more than $1 billion into the service, which holds an estimated 3% share of the European streaming market.

The review comes even as SkyShowtime has kept investing in the business: it raised prices on some tiers earlier in 2026, including the Netherlands ad-free plan, which went from €8.99 to €9.99 a month, and it carries an active content slate that includes Taylor Sheridan titles such as Yellowstone, Lioness, Landman and Tulsa King alongside NCIS, Law & Order, Dexter and the Star Trek franchise, a mix that complicates a simple "struggling" narrative.

The SkyShowtime board said "the landscape continues to evolve rapidly and remains highly challenging," and Sarhan told staff, "I know this news creates uncertainty and, as we work through what comes next, my priority and that of the leadership team, is to be there and support all of you." Comcast and Paramount have not disclosed a timeline for the review or specified what a restructuring or wind-down would involve, and subscribers and industry watchers across SkyShowtime's European markets could see follow-up statements on next steps in the coming weeks.