US streaming provider Pluto TV will launch a fully localised service in Germany and Austria on December 4, 2018.
Pluto TV offers linear streaming channels that can be accessed free of charge without a subscription. In Germany and Austria, the advertising-financed OTT offer will initially be accessible via the Sky TV stick with further platforms to follow.
In contrast to video-on-demand services such as Netflix or maxdome, where users have to search for the desired content, Pluto TV offers channels with continuous programmes tailor-made for specific topics and target groups.
Initially, there will be around 15 streaming channels in Germany and Austria, both original services created by Pluto TV with German and English language content as well as channels compiled by third-party media brands.
The line-up will comprise, for example, Pluto TV History, Pluto TV Inside, Pluto TV Animals, Pluto TV Explore, Pluto TV Sports, Pluto TV Action Sports, Pluto TV Fight and Pluto TV Kids. Third-party channels include World Poker Tour and MinecrafTV as well as IGN with gaming and techology news.
Pluto TV, whose shareholders include Sky, ProSiebenSat.1, Discovery subsidiary Scripps Networks and Samsung, is the leading advertising-supported provider of free linear OTT services in the US with over 10 million regular users. The company entered the UK market in October 2018.
Pluto TV’s European expansion is controlled from its European base in Berlin. It is headed by Olivier Jollet, managing director Europe, who previously worked for streaming services Quazer (ProSiebenSat.1) and Watchever (Vivendi).
“Now is just the right time for Pluto TV’s launch in Europe, especially in the German-speaking market, to exploit the great potential for linear video distribution over the internet,” said Jollet. “In order not to miss anything, an individual household needs three or more subscriptions, and users are increasingly losing interest in this.” According to Jollet, Pluto TV offers viewers a free alternative and advertisers a high-quality environment for targeted advertising integrated into live-streaming channels.
