DistroScale, a video-as-a-service provider, is launching DistroTV, a streaming OTT service in the US, Canada and UK with a range of entertainment, news, sports, film and TV programming in live, linear and video-on-demand formats.
DistroTV is free to consumers and now available via Apple iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV and Roku.
DistroTV is the first direct-to-consumer offering from DistroScale; a technology company founded in 2013 known for providing a global clientele of 3,500-plus media properties with the industry’s most comprehensive video platform; offering infrastructure, content delivery, curation, analytics and a full suite of monetization options. Video enabled by DistroScale reaches 250 million visitors per month.
To meet the demands of diverse, multi-cultural and globally-minded audiences in the US, Canada and UK whose viewing habits are increasingly migrating to streaming platforms, DistroTV is assembling a growing and diverse content roster, which includes Bonnier properties such as Saveur, Yachting, Popular Science and Destinations; BritAsia TV, feature films and pop culture news from India’s leading entertainment studio Rajshri, global trends arbiter FashionTV, documentary film producer Sideways Film, how-to content from Grace Creek Media’s Sportskool, mixed martial arts and combat sports programming from Fighting Spirit and more. The network is adding additional feature films, scripted series, lifestyle, sports news and other premium video content from English language content producers in North American and UK, as well as from a range of cultures and languages from around the world.
“Because we provide thousands of media companies with everything from back-end infrastructure and video delivery to technologies which help publishers engage audiences and make money with video content, we understand the insatiable appetite media companies, brands and consumers share for premium, multi-screen video. Our mission is to feed that growing demand,” said DistroScale CEO and co-founder Navdeep Saini.
“With DistroTV, we’re filling an unserved need to offer globally-minded and passionate audiences in the US, UK and Canada a world of free TV content. We’re also giving media companies a risk-free way to establish an OTT presence, then distribute and monetize their content on our robust and proven OTT service, without having to make infrastructure expenditures. DistroTV also provides media companies and producers with additional reach, distribution and incremental revenue. It’s a win for viewers, media companies and brands.”
Saini, who held product and engineering roles at DoubleClick and Yahoo! before starting DistroScale, added, “We also know that consumer tastes, viewing habits and cultural preferences are becoming more diverse and fragmented. They demand content from all around the globe at a rate faster than many media companies can deliver it. We want to serve the many large audience segments who are vastly underserved by traditional media offerings. We’re building an eclectic, curated menu of premium video programming from around the globe for those interested in gaming, niche sports, films from Hollywood to Bollywood; travel and culinary content and scripted series in a range of languages and more.”
“FashionTV is proud to be collaborating with DistroTV and we are delighted to enter this new and exciting business partnership in USA, Canada and UK. These markets are of utmost importance for our company and now, the audiences there will be able to enjoy our FTV channel with 24/7 glamorous entertainment and review of the latest fashion trends, thanks to DistroTV,” said Teresa Kirilova, Director Global Distribution FashionTV.
“We believe that a documentary is not just a news item or throwaway distraction, but a source of understanding and empathy, as well as entertainment,” said Juan Solera from Sideways Film, based in Barcelona, Spain.
“We are always looking for partners that share the same ambition and we are very excited to start working together with DistroTV in order to reach wide audiences and make them enjoy the power of film.”
