Paramount Movie Channel launches in the Middle East

The Paramount Movie Channel will launch with a showing of Forrest Gump on March 15. Phillip Caruso, Paramount Pictures / AP photo

Movie lovers in the region will have a new channel to enjoy when the regional version of the Paramount Movie Channel, launches on Sunday, exclusive to OSN.

As the name suggests, the channel will feature the very best of films from Paramount – the oldest sudio in Hollywood’s.

Its first film was Les Amours de la Reine Elisabeth in 1912, and the studio won the first Best Picture Academy Award for 1929's Wings.

More recently Paramount gave us classic comedies such as the Beverly Hills Cop and National Lampoon series, dramas such as Forrest Gump and Titanic, and horror movies such as the Friday the 13th franchise and Pet Sematary.

With the increasing popularity of video on demand and streaming services, it might seem a strange time to launch a traditional cable channel for movies, but Rafael Annechino is confident that such linear channels still have a role to play.

“Of course, not everyone can launch a successful linear channel in the current market,” he says. “But there are key factors – the brand and the content. We’ve selected the best content from Paramount’s catalogue, and also behind-the-scenes and exclusive content.

“We launched the first channel five years ago in the [United] States and now we have 10 around the world [making it] one of the most widely distributed movie channels in the world.

“We always say content is king, but in this case, with such a strong brand, too, it’s been a massive success and I’m sure it will be in this region too.”

The new channel will launch at 8pm on Sunday, April 16, with a screening of Forrest Gump, followed by Ghost and Pulp Fiction.

Visit www.osn.com​ for more details.