SkyShowtime began its journey in Spain on February 28. The new streaming platform has carried out an aggressive launch campaign in which we will have an initial price of 2.99 euros and 50% of the price forever if we subscribe in these first stages.
However, beyond that aggressive promo, how is SkyShowtime? Do you have a catalog interesting enough to compete against Netflix, HBO, Disney or Prime Video?
SkyShowtime and its first days in Spain
Having trouble registering with discount and others related to subtitlesSkyShowtime has launched in our country, trying to conquer the pockets of the Spanish with that initial promotion and with the perfect timing to take advantage of the discontent with Netflix and try to get a piece of it.
As for the catalog, it has a wide selection of exclusive SkyShowtime series, such as: 1883, 1923, A Friend of the Family, American Gigolo, Funny Woman, Halo, Law and Order T21 and 22, Let The Right One In , Mayor of Kingstown, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, Souls, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, The Calling, The Fear Index, The Great Game, The Midwich Cuckoos, The Offer, The Rising, The Undeclared War, Tulsa King, Vampire Academy and Yellowstone. In addition, on the 3rd, Bosé, a biopic of the Spanish singer, premiered.
Is any of them so essential as to justify by itself the subscription to the platform? We think not. There are examples to highlight such as The Offer, The Rinsing, Halo or Yellowstone and its prequels 1883 and 1923, but there is a lack of current bomb series that generates hype. Of course, for an old catalog you have plenty, with examples such as The Office, Penny Dreadful, Heroes, Twin Peaks or Frasier.
At a technical level we are going to find a very limited platform. We already knew about the resolution limitation to 1080p, but it also does not have HDR or Dolby Vision. As for the sound section, it does not include 5.1 sound either (not to mention Dolby Atmos). It is still quite in its infancy, but at least that has a solution.
The future is the key and where the true potential will be seen
It’s not that we’re making a prediction lightly, but that SkyShowtime’s true potential will come once it gets its own licenses back. For example, it will be the exclusive new home for 21 HBO Max Europe original series, including three new series that will debut as SkyShowtime Originals.
In Spain, SkyShowtime will premiere the second season of Por H o ​​Por B, which will be branded as SkyShowtime Original. The first season of Por H o ​​Por B will also be on the service, along with Foodie Love, Todo Lo Otro and Sin Novedad.
As soon as the licensing agreements are finalized, SkyShowtime should be the exclusive home for releases as powerful as those of Universal and Paramount, two of the main majors in the film industry. In the future there will be no cases like Top Gun: Maverick, nominated for an Oscar, but released on Prime Video and which cannot be seen “in your own home” at the moment.
As content is recovered (and weakening the competition with it), SkyShowtime will increase the attractiveness of the platform and the value provided by 2.99 euros per month (or 5.99 euros per month thereafter).
