ITV Studios is to partner with Samsung TV Plus for the launch of two new channels.
The new advertising-supported FAST channels feature Storylands¬ – a brand new channel positioned as the home for the best European drama, produced by labels that are part of ITV Studios. This includes dramas such as the critically acclaimed Norwegian legal series Aber Bergen; period drama Un Village Français and the procedural crime drama from the producers of Gomorrah, called Masantonio.
A dedicated Hell’s Kitchen channel, which will feature round-the-clock episodes of the hit US version of the Gordon Ramsay show
The FAST channels will launch first in the UK, before being rolled out to European markets, including Germany and Italy.
Ruth Berry, Managing Director at ITV Studios Global Distribution, said: “We are very excited to partner with Samsung TV Plus to launch FAST channels in EMEA. We have an amazing library of 90,000+ hours of IP and the FAST/AVOD space is a key strategic focus for ITV Studios as we look to provide global audiences with new ways to access some of our best known scripted brands, formats and non-scripted entertainment content.”
Last year, ITV launched four non-scripted on YouTube, Our World, Our Life, Our Stories and Our Histories, showcasing nature documentaries and everyday stories from the UK.
Richard Jakeman, European Head of Business Development for Samsung, said: “The growth of Samsung TV Plus has everything to do with the quality of the content. We are working hard to deliver the best content possible to our customers, wherever they are. The addition of Storylands by ITV Studios and Hell’s Kitchen will enforce our commitment to a wide variety of quality programming for everyone.”
FAST channels mimic live television with ads, as opposed to on-demand subscription-based services. Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s free ad-supported app delivering instant access to an ever-growing library of channels, will broadcast content from the ITV Studios catalogue 24/7 across all 2016 onwards Samsung Smart TVs as well as select Galaxy devices.
