Viacom has announced plans for a suite of mobile apps built around its international TV brands.
The Play Plex apps will launch in Q4 in each of the 180 territories where Viacom brands are available. There will be a separate mobile Play app for each of Viacom’s major international TV channel brands – Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Channel, Spike and BET – offering video-on-demand (VOD) access to a range of current and library content.
Viacom says it is exploring a number of different distribution options for Viacom Play Plex, with the suite of apps being offered on both a collective and standalone basis to existing pay-TV partners in every territory to integrate into their TV Everywhere services where available. A number of pay-TV providers have already signed deals with Viacom to offer subscribers authenticated access to the Nick app, including NOS in Portugal, while Viacom is collaborating with a number of other providers on upcoming launches including Foxtel in Australia and OSN in the Middle East and North Africa region. The Nick app, which has been rolled out in five international markets since 2013, is being updated and rebranded as Nick Play internationally to become part of Viacom Play Plex.
Viacom’s also looking for new distribution partners for the Viacom Play Plex apps, including mobile network operators.
Bob Bakish, President and CEO, Viacom International Media Networks, commented: “Viacom Play Plex offers us maximum flexibility in distributing our content as the way viewers consume their favorite TV shows continues to evolve. These apps are designed to complement our linear pay-TV channels and to allow our existing distribution partners to deepen and improve the entertainment experience they offer their subscribers. But, Viacom Play Plex also opens up new distribution opportunities for us, particularly in the fast-growing mobile TV sector, and, ultimately, positions us to succeed in a world of more personalized entertainment services and greater consumer choice.”
Each branded Play app will be localized for each country in which it is made available, both in terms of language and available content, giving users more ways to access Viacom’s global hits such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Catfish and Lip Sync Battle, as well as local productions.
