Comcast and Paramount Plus have poached BBC Select chief Jon Farrar to head programming for their new European streaming venture SkyShowtime.
At BBC, Farrar actually had a dual role, leading direct-to-consumer programming strategy in his position as global VOD director for the BBC, while also serving as editor-in-chief of BBC Select, the BBC's North American SVOD service.
Farrar also helped build BritBox, a joint venture between BBC and ITV.
Now reporting to SkyShowtime CEO Monty Sarhan, Farrar will be responsible for programming strategy, overseeing the service’s pipeline of partner studio content, and building a programming team across SkyShowtime’s markets to develop original and local content. Farrar will also lead the acquisitions, scheduling and editorial, and content operations functions.
“I am so thrilled to be taking up this role which, for a fan of great programs, is the most exciting job in European streaming," Farrar said. "I cannot wait to start working with Monty and the team on how we take a unique approach to bring SkyShowtime, with its brilliant content pipeline, to audiences across the continent.”
Simultaneously, SkyShowtime named former NBCUniversal international executive Raquel Berzosa to the role of regional general manager for the Iberia region.
And Richard Thurston, also formerly with the BBC, joins SkyShowtime as chief human resources officer.
SkyShowtime is set to deploy across 20 European territories, including Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland this year. The territories encompass 90 million homes. ■
