Paramount Global, the entertainment conglomerate, has announced plans to combine its free streaming services, Pluto TV and My5, in the UK next year. This move aims to create a supersized, free streaming platform that will bring together broadcast video-on-demand (BVOD) service My5 and Pluto TV’s leading FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television) service. Paramount Global sees the UK as a critical market and plans to launch the combined platform in the second half of 2024, with further details to be announced in early 2024.
The new streaming platform will offer an extensive range of new, exclusive, and archived content from Channel 5, as well as an extensive on-demand section and curated FAST channels from Pluto TV. Leveraging Pluto TV’s best-in-class technology platform, the service will combine BVOD, FAST, AVOD (Advertising Video on Demand), and live TV, providing audiences with the opportunity to lean back, lean forward, catch up, and watch their favorite shows live.
Pluto TV’s UK service currently offers over 20,000 hours of free content and more than 150 channels programmed with content from Paramount and other content partners. This includes popular shows like Judge Judy Sheindlin, Dog The Bounty Hunter, the CSI Universe series, MTV hits, curated movie channels, and factual hits like Channel 5’s Police Interceptors, Come Dine With Me, true crime classic Homicide Hunter, and fan favorite Most Haunted.
Paramount Global highlights that the combined streamer will be created following Channel 5’s growth in the UK TV audience over the last four years and My5’s increased viewership over the last three years. The success of hit shows such as crime drama Dalgleish, drama All Creatures Great and Small, and docuseries The Yorkshire Vet and Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly played a significant role in driving audience engagement.
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Maria Kyriacou, President of Broadcast & Studios at Paramount International Markets, expressed excitement about the future product, stating, “As we look ahead to an IP-delivered future, this is the right time for us to fully leverage the Paramount ecosystem and combine the reach and scale of our free-to-air network in the U.K. with the global success of our FAST service, Pluto TV.” Kyriacou reassured that they are working on creating an exceptional content and user experience for their audiences and advertising partners.
Olivier Jollet, Executive VP and General Manager of Pluto TV at Paramount International Markets, emphasized the significance of the combined streamer in the UK market, stating, “By joining forces with our leading BVOD platform in the U.K., we are offering audiences, partners, and clients a supersized free streaming destination that we know they’ll love.” He further explained that the collaboration aligns with Paramount’s strategic approach to platforms and the future of streaming.
Jollet also acknowledged the increasing competitiveness of the UK streaming market and how the combined streamer fits into Paramount’s broader streaming strategy. Paramount aims to create an ecosystem by leveraging its global investment in Pluto TV, offering a one-stop destination for audiences as they shift towards IP-delivered channels. This approach includes the presence of Paramount+’s premium paid streaming service and a careful windowing strategy targeted market by market.
The goal for Paramount is to further leverage this ecosystem in the future by continuing to innovate and offer new and exclusive content across its different platforms. With the launch of the combined streamer in the UK, audiences and advertisers can expect an enhanced streaming experience and a diverse range of content options.
