ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) is launching an international premium streaming service

ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) is launching a premium streaming service internationally, attracting audiences of all ages with a selection of competitively priced, large-scale exclusives, premieres and must-have box sets from much-loved ViacomCBS entertainment brands. The news was announced Thursday during the company's second quarter earnings call.

The service branding will be revealed closer to launch.

The new SVOD service will begin its international launch in early 2021, offering exclusive previews of all the new features SHOW TIME series, including video game adaptation Alone. CBS All Access the originals will also be previewed exclusively on the new service, such as Brad Neely's upcoming film Harper's home. By building a bespoke content offering in select key territories since launch, the service will also combine films from Paramount Pictures and previews and caskets of Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon e Paramount network, as well as the originals from ViacomCBS International Studios in some markets.

The new SVOD is aimed at an on-demand audience of all ages by combining blockbuster and classic films, premium screenplay series, children, comedies and entertainment, specialized reality and factual content and will ultimately aim to match or surpass other streaming services. with a selection of thousands of hours of content in each market.

“The launch of a large premium streaming service will be a game changer for ViacomCBS and can help us become as powerful a player in international streaming as we are in linear TV,” said President and CEO David Lynn. "We will market a first-rate content offering at a very competitive price and we are confident it will have significant audience appeal everywhere and strong growth potential in every market."

Launch priority will be given in 2021 to fast-growing OTT markets where ViacomCBS has identified the opportunity to become a leader in paid streaming based on its competitive position. These include: Australia, where its current 10 All Access service will be renamed and significantly expanded; Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil and Mexico; and the Nordic countries.

ViacomCBS will work with existing distribution partners, as well as with new distributors, to market the service to its subscribers, as well as to retail the D2C service.

Making the most of ViacomCBS's television and film libraries and its global original content pipelines, the service will utilize the technology and platform that power CBS All Access. The roll-out will be done using the company's existing international infrastructure, which spans offices in more than 30 countries, to improve cost efficiency and help focus investments on the screen.

“With over 200 million new streaming subscriptions expected to be online internationally by 2025, we are very confident that we can build a significant subscriber base in the coming years,” added Pierluigi Gazzolo, President, Streaming. "ViacomCBS is one of the few elite content companies with sufficiently large content pipelines and content libraries in-depth enough to be a leader in all segments of the video entertainment market."

The international launch of the new streaming service will proceed in parallel with the ongoing launch of the free ViacomCBS streaming service, Pluto TV, which recently debuted in the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America, following previous launches in the UK and Germany. After enjoying phenomenal growth in Latin America, the service plans to expand to Brazil and Spain by the end of 2020 and to France and Italy in 2021.