Paramount Networks UK & Australia

Paramount Networks UK & Australia is a regional operating division of Paramount that manages and distributes the group’s television brands and related media services in the United Kingdom and Australia. The division was launched on 14 January 2020 under the name ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia, following the formation of ViacomCBS, and was subsequently aligned with the Paramount corporate identity after ViacomCBS adopted the Paramount Global name. Following Paramount Global’s combination with Skydance Media in 2025, the division became part of Paramount Skydance Corporation. The unit is headquartered in London and maintains a local office in Sydney. Its activities span branded linear television channels, children’s and youth programming, entertainment networks, free-to-air broadcasting in Australia, and associated digital or streaming distribution. Its portfolio has included brands such as Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount-branded services, although the precise channel lineup has changed over time in response to distribution agreements, audience behavior, and corporate restructuring. A significant change in the division’s British operations occurred in October 2022, when it acquired Sky’s remaining interest in Nickelodeon UK Ltd. The transaction brought the British Nickelodeon channel and related branded assets under Paramount’s full control. Sky had been a partner in the British Nickelodeon operation, but was preparing to launch its own Sky Kids children’s channel; retaining an ownership position in Nickelodeon UK would have constrained that strategy. The acquisition therefore simplified the ownership structure while allowing Sky to develop its own children’s offering. The Australian business also underwent a notable channel strategy change. In June 2023, Paramount announced that the free-to-air channel 10 Shake would be rebranded as Nickelodeon. The move extended Nickelodeon programming onto Australian free-to-air television and brought the brand more directly under Paramount’s control. At the same time, Paramount ended its long-standing arrangement with Foxtel for the Australian pay-TV Nickelodeon service and announced the closure of the Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. pay-TV channels on that platform. Nickelodeon services continued on selected other platforms, including Fetch TV and Sky in New Zealand, according to the cited reference material. In October 2025, amid the restructuring of Paramount Skydance following the combination of Paramount Global and Skydance Media, the division announced plans to close five UK MTV music channels at the end of December 2025: MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live. The planned closures illustrate the pressure on traditional linear pay-TV networks as audiences and advertising increasingly move toward streaming, digital video, and broader entertainment platforms. Paramount Networks UK & Australia should therefore be understood not as a standalone consumer-facing channel, but as a regional management and distribution organization within the Paramount family. Its importance lies in operating and reshaping a portfolio of internationally recognized television brands for two mature English-language media markets, while adapting the portfolio to changing platform economics and corporate ownership.

Paramount Networks UK & Australia was established on 14 January 2020 as ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia. Its creation followed the merger of Viacom and CBS, which brought the companies' international television operations into a combined corporate structure. The division was responsible for managing Paramount-related television networks and services in the United Kingdom and Australia, two developed English-language markets with substantial pay-TV, free-to-air, and digital video sectors. The organization operates from London and has a local office in Sydney. Its portfolio has included internationally distributed entertainment brands, with particular relevance for Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount-branded services. The division's work includes channel operation, programming, brand management, distribution relationships, and adaptation of global franchises for local market conditions. It is a regional business unit rather than a separately listed company or an independent consumer-goods brand. After ViacomCBS adopted the Paramount Global name, the regional unit became known as Paramount Networks UK & Australia. One of its most consequential ownership developments took place on 31 October 2022, when it acquired Sky's remaining stake in Nickelodeon UK Ltd. Before the transaction, Sky had participated in the British Nickelodeon operation. Sky was planning to launch an in-house children's channel called Sky Kids, and its ownership of Nickelodeon UK would have restricted that plan. The transaction gave Paramount full control of the British Nickelodeon channel and simplified the relationship between the two companies. The Australian channel portfolio was reshaped in 2023. On 22 June of that year, the division announced that 10 Shake, its Australian free-to-air channel, would be rebranded as Nickelodeon. This decision gave Nickelodeon a free-to-air linear presence in Australia and enabled the division to place a larger share of its children's programming on a broadly accessible channel. The shift also coincided with the end of Paramount's long-standing partnership with Foxtel for the Australian pay-TV Nickelodeon service. Paramount announced the closure of the Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. pay-TV channels on that platform, although the cited material states that the channels continued on Fetch TV and on Sky in New Zealand. The 2023 decision reflected a broader attempt to consolidate the Nickelodeon identity and use free-to-air distribution to reach children and families beyond the traditional pay-TV universe. It also demonstrated how the division's network strategy depends on platform relationships: a brand may be available through different combinations of terrestrial television, pay-TV, connected devices, and streaming services depending on the market. A further restructuring was announced in October 2025. Following the combination of Paramount Global and Skydance Media into Paramount Skydance, Paramount Networks UK & Australia announced that five UK MTV music pay-TV channels would close at the end of December 2025. The named channels were MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live. The planned closures were presented in the context of corporate restructuring and the changing economics of linear television. They also reflected the continued migration of music video consumption toward online video, social platforms, and on-demand services. The division's history is consequently marked less by the introduction of a single flagship product than by portfolio management. It has integrated brands after corporate mergers, consolidated ownership of strategically important channels, moved Nickelodeon into free-to-air broadcasting in Australia, adjusted pay-TV partnerships, and reduced selected linear channel operations in the United Kingdom. Its continuing role is to manage Paramount's regional network presence while balancing local distribution requirements with international brand consistency.

1. 2025UK MTV channel closures announced

   The division announced the planned closure of five UK MTV music pay-TV channels at the end of December as part of Paramount Skydance restructuring.

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2. 202310 Shake rebranded as Nickelodeon

   Paramount announced that Australia's free-to-air 10 Shake channel would be converted to the Nickelodeon brand, expanding Nickelodeon programming on free-to-air television.

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3. 2022Nickelodeon UK ownership consolidated

   On 31 October, the division acquired Sky's remaining stake in Nickelodeon UK Ltd., taking control of the British Nickelodeon channel and associated branded operation.

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4. 2020Regional division launched

   ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia was launched on 14 January 2020 following the Viacom-CBS combination.

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A regional portfolio and network operator for Paramount entertainment, children's, youth, music, and general-interest television brands in the United Kingdom and Australia.

• NickelodeonChildren's television network

  Nickelodeon is Paramount's principal children's and family television brand in the division's markets. In the United Kingdom, the division gained full control of Nickelodeon UK Ltd. after acquiring Sky's remaining stake in 2022. In Australia, Paramount used the Nickelodeon identity for the rebranding of the free-to-air 10 Shake channel announced in 2023, bringing Nickelodeon programming to a broader terrestrial audience.

• MTVYouth and music television network

  MTV is a youth-oriented television brand historically associated with music programming and later expanded entertainment formats. The UK portfolio included MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live. The division announced that these five music-focused UK pay-TV channels would close at the end of December 2025 during Paramount Skydance restructuring.

• Comedy CentralComedy television network

  Comedy Central is an entertainment brand associated with comedy series, stand-up, and related programming. It forms part of the broader Paramount network portfolio that has been managed across international markets, including the United Kingdom and Australia. The supplied reference does not specify a separate launch or major restructuring date for its operations under this division.

• Paramount-branded servicesEntertainment television and streaming services

  The division also supports Paramount-branded entertainment distribution in its regional markets. Depending on market and platform, this can include linear television, digital distribution, and streaming-related services. The supplied reference does not provide a complete channel list or detailed product history for these services.

• 2025Restructure the UK MTV music channel portfolioStrategy

  The announcement followed the formation of Paramount Skydance and was made amid corporate restructuring and pressure on traditional linear music television.

  What changed. Paramount Networks UK & Australia announced the closure of MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live at the end of December 2025.

  Aftermath. The planned closures would reduce the division's UK linear MTV presence, although the supplied material does not specify the resulting distribution arrangements for the brands or their programming.

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• 2023Move Nickelodeon programming to Australian free-to-air televisionStrategy

  Paramount sought to bring the Nickelodeon brand and programming to a wider Australian audience while changing its pay-TV distribution arrangements.

  What changed. The division announced that 10 Shake would be rebranded as Nickelodeon and that the Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. pay-TV channels supplied through the long-standing Foxtel arrangement would be shuttered.

  Aftermath. Nickelodeon gained a free-to-air linear outlet in Australia. The cited material states that the pay-TV services continued on Fetch TV and Sky in New Zealand.

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• 2022Acquire Sky's remaining Nickelodeon UK stakeM&A

  Sky was preparing to launch its own Sky Kids children's channel, and its continued ownership of Nickelodeon UK would have limited that strategy.

  What changed. Paramount Networks UK & Australia acquired Sky's remaining interest in Nickelodeon UK Ltd. on 31 October 2022.

  Aftermath. Paramount obtained full control of the British Nickelodeon operation while Sky was able to pursue its own children's channel.

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• 2025Five UK MTV music channels scheduled for closure

  During Paramount Skydance restructuring, Paramount Networks UK & Australia announced plans to close MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live in the United Kingdom at the end of December 2025.

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• 202310 Shake to be rebranded as Nickelodeon in Australia

  The division announced that Australia's free-to-air 10 Shake channel would adopt the Nickelodeon brand, expanding Nickelodeon programming onto free-to-air television while changing the distribution strategy for the Australian pay-TV service.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 2022Paramount Networks UK & Australia acquires Sky's remaining stake in Nickelodeon UK Ltd.

  Paramount Networks UK & Australia completed the acquisition of Sky's remaining interest in Nickelodeon UK Ltd., bringing the British Nickelodeon channel under Paramount's control. The change occurred as Sky prepared to develop its own Sky Kids children's channel.

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1. Paramount Networks UK & Australia