The streaming landscape is changing at a rate of knots. The biggest U.S. players are looking for new revenue streams and growth areas, and, in 2022 much of that that growth is coming from European TV. These platforms’ activity in the continent was all anyone could talk about at this year’s European TV markets, and each is rolling out swiftly across multiple territories, ordering reams of content and placing commissioners in strategically important nations. Here, Deadline has taken the eight biggest U.S. offerings — Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Discovery+, Apple TV+, Peacock and Paramount+ — and compiled a comprehensive guide to their activity in Europe, examining strategy, commissioners and, of course, the best content. Read on.
Netflix
The Strategy
Netflix has been operating by far the longest in Europe and is ingrained into many country’s production sectors, almost acting as a public broadcaster in some where it is more advanced. The SVoD said it has invested billions of euros in European content over the past few years, introducing some of the biggest hits of all time such as The Crown and popularizing non-English-language belters including La Casa de Papel and Dark. Netflix has embedded itself in multiple nations. Headquartered in The Netherlands (which also houses the Arabic and African content teams), it now has offices in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Turkey and Spain, with a Polish hub set to open shortly. European content production is set to ramp up even further with the introduction of local content quotas in a number of key territories including France, where it will soon have to invest 20%-25% of its French revenue into local shows. The streamer, which now produces drama, docs and entertainment in Europe, has initiated a number of talent initiatives across the continent and counts some of the best commissioners and execs including UK scripted boss Anne Mensah within its ranks. While the Netflix U.S. team is currently experiencing several problems, most recently laying off 150 staff, Europe is an area in which it can really press home its first-mover advantage over the coming years. What comes next will be fascinating.
Who & Where
The boss: Larry Tanz, VP Local Language Series, EMEA; based in EMEA HQ in Amsterdam.
- The Netherlands: Ahmed Sharkawi (Arabic series), Ben Amadasun (Africa content), Michael Azzolino (CEE, Turkey, Benelux
- UK: Anne Mensah, leads UK series
- Spain: Diego Avalos, leads Spanish series
- Italy: Eleonora “Tinny” Andreatta, leads the Italian series team
- France: Damien Couvreur, leads the French series team
- Nordics: Jenny Stjernstromer Bjork, leads the Nordic series team
- Germany: Katja Hofem, leads the German series team
Netflix is available in all European territories.
Content Is King
Dark (Germany): Netflix’s debut German-language offering is also one of its runaway European success stories. The supernatural thriller from Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese conjures a fantastical German world in which people can move between time periods and set a course for the future.
The Crown (UK): Nothing would be the same without The Crown. Soon to enter its fifth season and third with a fresh cast, the show is undoubtedly one of Netflix’s and, frankly, the globe’s biggest hits of all time, giving generations of fans a peek into the private lives of the Royal Family across multiple decades. Will end after the next run.
Snabba Cash (Nordics): Swedish-language series that is propelling lead Evin Ahmad to stardom in which the lives of an ambitious businesswoman, a troubled teenager and a charming gang enforcer collide.
Untitled series inspired by The Leopard (Italy): The lead show unveiled from Netflix’s brand spanking new Rome office earlier this month is a series inspired by the novel by Tomasi from Lampedusa, bringing a modern perspective to the story of Prince of Salina and his family.
Disney+
The Strategy
Disney+ has been on a wild ride since its much-anticipated launch in early 2020 (on the heels of a smashing debut in the U.S. and a handful of other territories in November 2019) coincided with the coronavirus pandemic. Suddenly everyone was stuck indoors: cue millions of global subs within mere months. Unlike some rivals, Europe has been a focus from the get-go and Disney+ is now rolling out shows in major territories at speed with a target of 60 productions in the continent over the next two years, recently upped from 50. Commissioners are based in 10 different territories from Poland to Benelux to Turkey, many of which had presences via the Disney Channels in the pre-streaming era. Producers and talent around the continent are excited and the likes of heavyweights Sally Wainwright, Quoc Dang Tran and Jörg Winger are already signed up to write shows, along with up-and-coming talent being given their first break. David Beckham is even fronting a British non-scripted series. The hallmark remains quality with a Disney feel and there is now an opportunity to produce older content for adult-skewing vertical Star. Having been making local shows for its linear channels for many years, the transition to streaming has been swift, and Disney is already establishing itself as a big local player in the vein of Netflix and Amazon.
Who & Where
The boss: Diego Londono, EVP Media Networks and Content, EMEA
- UK & Regional: Liam Keelan, SVP Original Production, Disney+ EMEA plus other commissioners
- Benelux: Mascha Van Erven, Director Original Productions, Benelux
- Italy: Alessandro Saba – Director Original Production
- France: Kevin Deysson, Director Original Production
- Germany: Benjamina Mirnik-Voges, VP Original Production
- Spain: Sofía Fábregas Bernar, VP Original Production
- Nordics: Nanna Mailand, Senior Manager Original Productions
- Poland: Magda Cieslak, Director Original Productions
- Turkey: Turkan Yurdam
Disney+ is available in 17 key European territories and will roll out to more this summer.
Content Is King
Sam: A Saxon (Germany): Based on the true-life story of Samuel Meffire, East-Germany’s first black police officer, from Deutschland 83 co-creator Jörg Winger.
Parallèles (France): In-demand French-Vietnamese writer Quoc Dang Tran’s sci-fi breakthrough follows four friends whose lives are turned upside down when a mysterious event scatters them into different timelines. “We had the ability but weren’t previously allowed to tell these stories,” Quoc told Deadline recently of the old state of play with European non-English-language content. “That’s all changed,” he added.
Save Our Squad (UK): David Beckham-fronted football series showing Disney+’s commitment to non-scripted in which the world famous player returns to the East London football pitches where he played as a child to mentor a young grassroots side who are struggling to survive in the league.
The Good Mothers (Italy): Shocking true story of three women who were born into the most deadly and wealthy of the Italian mafia. Told from the women’s point of view.
Amazon Prime Video
The Strategy
As Europe’s second-oldest U.S. streamer, Amazon has had several years to refine a strategy and get moving. “In my head, we’re not an American streaming service, we’re a European streamer,” declared Amazon Studios Europe boss Georgia Brown at the start of this year, and Amazon has since been motoring, ordering content mainly in scripted, reality and entertainment at a faster pace (although it has never claimed to want to commission as much as Netflix). Some shows were most recently unveiled at a mega showcase in London, including a tennis drama from Line of Duty producer World Productions and highly-anticipated grime/drill musical Jungle. Amazon’s sweet spot is in expensive, mainstream scripted — think the German team’s upcoming adaptation of The Gryphon — but during the multi-year drama lead times it has doubled down on non-scripted entertainment to keep audiences interested, with shows like Clarkson’s Farm and Lol: Last One Laughing performing well. Commissioners are scattered across Western Europe and Scandinavia and Brown has regularly spoken about the importance of infrastructure, how she needed to set up in areas such as VFX, legal and admin before becoming truly established. That has now been done and Amazon has cleared the path to consolidating as a key European content player.
Who & Where
The boss: Georgia Brown, Amazon Studios Head of Europe; based in London
- France: Head of Originals Thomas Dubois
- UK: Head of Originals Dan Grabiner
- Italy: Head of Originals Nicole Morganti
- Spain: Head of Originals Maria José Rodríguez
- Germany: Head of Originals Philipp Pratt
- The Netherlands: Head of Originals Jacomien Nijhof
- The Nordics: Head of Originals Karin Lindstrom
Multiple commissioning editors operate under each Head of Originals, with more than 30 commissioning content out of Europe.
Amazon is available in all European territories and accessible to anyone who has a Prime account.
Content Is King
The Gryphon (Germany): High-budget adaptation of Wolfgang Hohlbein’s fantasy series, which follows three outsiders who, on their way to adulthood, come into contact with a fantasy world called the Black Tower.
Lovestruck High (UK): Soon-to-launch dating series with a twist, following a diverse group of UK singles as they go back to high school to fall in love.
Totems (France): High-budget Gaumont-produced spy show set in the Cold War era between France and Russia from The Bureau writer Olivier Dujols.
The Bad Guy (Italy): Dark mafia comedy revolving around a Sicilian public prosecutor who devoted his whole life to fighting the Mafia and finds himself accused and condemned of being a mafioso himself.
HBO Max
The Strategy
The ambition of the HBO Max and Max Originals commissioned in Europe is to broaden the offering of previous HBO streaming services, which leaned towards adult-oriented programming like Succession. Alongside several commissioners, content boss Antony Root used a Series Mania keynote in March to state he wants to push HBO Max’s appeal in the continent “beyond the die-hard Euphoria fan,” Euphoria being Sam Levinson’s U.S. tentpole. HBO Max, which is also pushing into other non-scripted genres including four local versions of U.S. smash Fboy Island, is attempting to tie this strategy with creating shows that appeal to local audiences, citing the likes of Denmark’s Kamikaze and Poland’s The Thaw as examples. As is the HBO mantra, volume is not the primary aim, with “quality, originality and local resonance” described as key drivers of success in Europe. More details of course are incoming on HBO Max Discovery, the streamer combining the two now-Warner Bros Discovery-owned entities that will no doubt be a European commissioning powerhouse, and HBO Max commissioners are now strategically placed across the continent to drive home the “quality and originality” mantra.
Who & Where
The boss: Antony Root, EVP, Head of Original Production; based in London
- Iberia: Commissioning Editor of Original programming Miguel Salvat
- The Nordics: Commissioning Editor and VP Original Programming Christian Wikander
- France: VP and commissioning editor of original production Vera Peltekian
- Turkey: Mia Edde (Executive Director of Content Acquisition)
Working in pan European roles are VPs Annelies Sitvast (Unscripted), Hanka Kastelicová (Documentaries) and Steve Matthews (Scripted).
HBO Max is available in 21 European countries although not the major UK market (or Italy or Germany) due to a pre-existing output deal with Sky. That agreement runs through 2025.
Content Is King
Lust (Nordics): Move over Scandi-Noir, the Swedes are doing things a bit differently now, with this story about four middle-aged women leading stifled sex lives that is ripe for a U.S. remake.
30 Coins (Spain): A second season of Álex de Iglesia and Jorge Guerricaechevarría’s mystery horror is already in production for this show set in Pedraza, where many people have lost their minds. “If the first season was the gathering of the storm clouds, the second will be the maelstrom preceding an epic storm,” de la Iglesia said recently.
Still Here (Central Europe): Set to drop later this year, Blinding Lights writer Jakub Żulczyk has penned this tragicomedy about a 40-year-old urban legend in Warsaw.
Fboy Island (Spain, Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands): Building on a strategy to broaden its genre offering, four local versions of the U.S. dating hit have entered production, as three women head to a tropical island where they are courted by 12 “Nice Guys” and 12 “F Boys”.
Discovery+
The Strategy
As a business focusing heavily on international, Discovery has been playing in Europe for many years and Discovery+ has handed it the perfect opportunity to double down by commissioning in bulk with increased budgets. The streamer was the first of the “new set” (aka not Amazon or Netflix) to launch in Europe and cue a wealth of factual, entertainment and documentary commissions across the continent including a high-end Johnny Depp/Amber Heard doc and a reboot of Beauty and the Geek. Particular focus comes out of the Nordics, where there are commissioning heads in Norway, Sweden and Finland, while there are also boots on the ground in Poland. The combined HBO Max Discovery is of course coming soon, and Discovery+ differs fundamentally from HBO Max in that it mainly orders non-scripted in big quantities. What happens next in Europe will therefore be fascinating. A spokesperson for Discovery said the soon-to-be-combined HBO Max Discovery will “blend the powerful legacy WarnerMedia and legacy Discovery,” with more details incoming for what could be quite the powerhouse.
Who & Where
The boss: VP Content & Acquisitions EMEA & APAC Myriam Lopez-Otazu, though local commissioners lead locally
UK: headed by Clare Laycock and Simon Downing
Poland: Beate Biel (TVN24 Go) and Lidia Kazen (Player)
Norway: headed by Magnus Vatn and Synøve Diserud
Sweden: headed by Axel Eriksson and Lena Strandner
The Netherlands: headed by Tatiana Lagewaard
Italy: headed by Laura Carafoli
Finland: headed by Katja Santala
Discovery+ is available in more than 20 European territories with more to come including Germany later this year.
Content Is King
Zodiac Island (UK): Contemporary reality format in which leading astrologers will carefully find matches for 12 singletons who are brought together by their birth chats and hang out on a sun-soaked Greek Island.
Dark Heart (Sweden): A rare scripted foray for Discovery+, this Scandi drama is inspired by real events in rural Sweden about a missing person’s case investigated by a volunteer in the search party.
Drag Race Italia (Italy): One of the latest territories to pick up the mega franchise, with Discovery+ taking on RuPaul’s hit in Italy.
Harrie: Dating On The Camp (The Netherlands): Famous Dutch reality personality Harrie Snijders enters the dating market and takes finding true love a lot more seriously this time.
Apple TV+
The Strategy
Apple TV+ doesn’t release much of the information that Deadline was after for this feature but we know the trillion dollar company has been placing more focus on its UK and Europe offering of late. Big budget UK bets with A-list talent such as Gary Oldman’s Slow Horses and the Claire Danes/Tom Hiddleston-starring The Essex Serpent have premiered with plenty of media attention and the SVoD is beginning to push into non-English-language scripted including France’s Liaison, starring Eva Green and Vincent Cassel. In non-scripted, a focus on leveraging the best UK natural history has spawned the likes of Tiny World, narrated by Paul Rudd, and David Attenborough’s Prehistoric Planet. Apple TV+ will never likely commission in huge volume and it has fewer commissioners than most rivals (bases in just the UK, France and Germany) but the quality hallmarks and mainstream appeal that are infused within its U.S. programing apply very much to this continent.
Who & Where
The boss: Jay Hunt, Creative Director, Europe, Worldwide Video
UK: Hunt plus Unscripted Boss Alison Kirkham & Scripted Boss Joe Oppenheimer
France: headed by Georgetta Curavale
Germany: headed by Franziska An der Gassen
Apple TV+ is available across Europe
Content Is King
Slow Horses (UK): Darkly funny spy drama based on the Mick Herron novels featuring Gary Oldman as slovenly spy Jackson Lamb, Kristin Scott Thomas and a cast of talented young actors. Unveiled at a swanky London premiere last month.
Liaison (France): Upcoming French/Anglo production from Ringside Studios and Leonis Productions starring Vincent Cassel and Eva Green in a high-stakes contemporary thriller exploring how the mistakes of the past have the potential to destroy our future.
Prehistoric Planet (UK): David Attenborough has branched out beyond the BBC once again for this nature doc that recreates the dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous period with computer-generated imagery. Set to an original score by multiple-Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer.
Trying (UK): One of Apple TV+’s first European shows was this gentle comedy that is about to launch its third season, starring Esther Smith and Rafe Spall as a couple adopting a child.
Paramount+
The Strategy
International is a key tenet of Bob Bakish’s big streamer play and, as the Paramount CEO pivots to spending billions on content for Paramount+, he is looking to Europe. Paramount+ will launch in the UK and Ireland next month and France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria in the second half of the year as it seeks momentum for global streaming brands that also includes AVoD Pluto TV and Noggin. A Sexy Beast remake and Kenneth Branagh’s A Gentleman in Moscow lead an already-hefty international slate and now Paramount+ needs to really press home its differentiation point from the other big beasts. A tie-up with Lupin and Narcos production powerhouse Gaumont should help. Speaking at Series Mania in March, international boss Raffaelle Annecchino talked up the streamer for “launching quicker than others” in key European markets, having been operating in some of these markets for decades. Those “others” are gaining and all eyes are trained on what Paramount does next, while the upcoming SkyShowtime JV with Comcast will allow Paramount to showcase its content in smaller territories while still prioritizing larger ones.
Who & Where
The boss: Raffaele Annecchino, President & CEO, Paramount Global International
UK and Ireland: Chief Content Officer Ben Frow (plus others)
Italy and France: led by Georgina Di Santo, Director Programming and Acquisitions South Hub Paramount+.
Germany, Switzerland and Austria: A team of local Commissioners in Berlin – led by Susanne Schildknecht, SVP MTV Entertainment Brands for Central & Northern Europe and Asia.
Paramount+ will be available in the UK and Ireland, France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland by the end of the year.
Content Is King
Sexy Beast (UK): One of the first originals to be announced for Paramount+. Based on the cult classic of the same name, Gal Dove and Don Logan star in the roles taken up by Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley originally as they descend into London’s criminal underbelly during the volatile 1990s.
Simon Beckett’s The Chemistry of Death (Germany): Thrilling psychological crime series based on Beckett’s best-selling novel from BAFTA-winner Sukey Venables Fisher.
Miss Fallaci Takes America (Italy): High-profile debut Italian Paramount+ offering about iconic journalist Oriana Fallaci’s journey to the U.S. The show will portray Fallaci’s early years in Hollywood before she became a legendary war correspondent known for her explosive personality.
Rise of the Tech Titans (UK): One of a number of shows unveiled as part of the first Paramount+ UK scripted slate, this four-part documentary charts the events that led to a group of founders being able to take their vision to stratospheric levels.
Peacock / SkyShowtime
Comcast-owned Peacock operates with less autonomy from the U.S. when compared to the majority of its streaming counterparts. European commissions and acquisitions are controlled from U.S. HQ for Peacock and commissioners are not based on the continent. Peacock sees Europe as important but the majority of its European shows are co-produced with local European networks. The service has already rolled out on Sky in major territories and Paramount JV SkyShowtime will soon launch in some of the smaller territories, showcasing TV premieres and first run theatrical films from both NBCUniversal and Paramount. Peacock has had the least presence at recent European TV markets, where others were more keen to shout from the rooftops.
Who And Where?
The boss: Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, and a U.S.-based team featuring the likes of Val Boreland, EVP Content Acquisition.
Peacock is available on Sky in major European territories and SkyShowtime will launch soon in 20 markets including Croatia, Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain.
Content Is King
We Are Lady Parts (UK): Peacock mainly co-commissions its European content with local networks and this BAFTA-nominated Channel 4 series about a Muslim punk band has proved to be exactly the sort of zeitgeisty content it is looking for.
Dime Quién Soy: Mistress of War (Spain): Limited historical drama series co-produced for Movistar+ based on the novel of the same name. The epic spans the Spanish Civil War, World War II and the Cold War and represents a rare Spanish foray for Peacock.
Eurovision (Europe): Peacock is the U.S. home to the popular annual song contest.
Last Light (various): Multi-territory drama series exec produced and starring Matthew Fox and produced in association with Nordic streamer Viaplay. Based on the Alex Scarrow book, the show tells the story of a family fighting to survive in a world that has been suddenly thrown into chaos.