Paramount+ and Lionsgate have just joined forces in an exclusive SVOD — subscription-based video-on-demand — deal for the hit comedy series Ghosts. This exciting news comes follows the series' renewal for Season 2 at CBS earlier this year. Ghosts has been a smash hit with both critics and audiences and is the highest-rated new comedy of the year.
The new agreement will expand Paramount+’s existing in-season rights to the series, and beginning this fall the streaming platform will be the exclusive SVOD service for new and existing episodes of Ghosts.
Of the deal, Tanya Giles, chief programming officer at Paramount+ said:
“Ghosts is one of the biggest comedy hits in years and one of the most talked about shows. It is the perfect addition to the fantastic pipeline of content driving peak streaming at Paramount+."
Jim Packer, president of the Lionsgate Worldwide Television Distribution Group added: “With fresh storylines, an incredible cast, and a brilliant creative team, Ghosts is that rare television series that taps into the popular zeitgeist to become a cultural phenomenon."
The news of Paramount+'s deal for SVOD rights is likely to add to the hype behind Ghosts, at least that is what David Stapf, president of CBS Studios is betting. Stapf said:
“Since the series premiere, GHOSTS has found passionate viewers – both on CBS and Paramount+. Ratings and online conversation about the show have grown virtually every week, and the series is the #1 new comedy by a huge margin. The best part is that viewers are still finding this unique and brilliant series, and this new SVOD agreement will help further that discovery process in a big way.”
Ghosts is based on a British series of the same name and is created as a part of Lionsgate’s partnership with BBC Studios in Los Angeles. The series tells the story of a couple, Samantha (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), who move into their dream home only to find out that it is filled to the gills with an eclectic bunch of ghosts that only Samantha can see and hear.
Starring alongside McIver and Ambudkar are Brandon Scott Jones, Richie Moriarty, Asher Grodman, Rebecca Wisocky, Sheila Carrasco, Danielle Pinnock, Roman Zaragoza, and Devan Chandler Long. Joe Port and Joe Wiseman serve as showrunners on the series.
Ghosts is expected to return for Season 2 this fall.