Paramount is to combine Channel 5’s broadcast video-on-demand (BVOD) service, My5, with its leading FAST service Pluto TV.
The resulting service, says Paramount, will bring audiences in the UK a “supersized, free streaming service in 2024 by consolidating its broadcast video-on-demand (BVOD) service, My5, with its leading FAST service Pluto TV, in this critical market.”
The new ad-supported free streaming destination will give viewers in the UK access to an extensive range of new, exclusive and archived content from Channel 5, as well as an extensive on-demand section and an outstanding collection of curated FAST channels from Pluto TV. The product, which will leverage Pluto TV’s best-in-class technology platform, will combine BVOD, FAST, AVOD and Live TV all at once.
“We’re proud of the huge success and growth in viewing that we have seen on our BVOD service, My5. 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 UK with the global success of our FAST service, Pluto TV. We’re well underway with work on this product, and I’m incredibly excited about the content and user experience we’ll be able to offer our audiences and our advertising partners when we launch next year,” said Maria Kyriacou, president, broadcast & studios, Paramount International Markets.
“As an early pioneer of FAST globally, we’ve seen incredible growth and excitement for Pluto TV in markets around the world. By joining forces with our leading BVOD platform in the UK, we are offering audiences, partners, and clients a supersized free streaming destination that we know they’ll love,” said Olivier Jollet, EVP and General Manager Pluto TV, Paramount International Markets. “This is a significant evolution for our free streaming business in this important market and a testament to how we strategically approach our platforms and the future of streaming.”
The newly combined streaming service will enable Channel 5 to extend its provision of high-quality public service content in a digitally delivered future – and build on the network’s acclaimed recent success.
Channel 5 has grown its share of the UK television audience over the last four years consecutively, and its BVOD service My5 has grown its viewing over the last three years consecutively – thanks to hit shows like All Creatures Great And Small, Ben Fogle: New Lives In The Wild, and a host of shows with “Yorkshire” in the title, including ratings winner The Yorkshire Vet.
Pluto TV is a pioneer of the FAST industry and the most widely distributed FAST service worldwide. With more than 2,000 channels globally from over 425 content partners, Pluto TV is the first destination for FAST lovers, including clients and partners who want to reach an extensive audience. Pluto TV has grown exponentially during the past several years, reaching annual revenue in excess of $1BN and expanding its footprint across four continents and over 35 markets.
Pluto TV’s content spans multiple genres via curated channels and on demand, including global and local film and series selections, Kids & Family content, stand-up comedy, sports, and much more. The service in the UK has over 20,000 hours of free content and more than 150 channels programmed with content from Paramount and other content partners, including Judge Judy, Dog The Bounty Hunter, the CSI Universe, MTV hits like Catfish and Teen Mum, 10 curated movie channels and factual hits like Channel 5’s Police Interceptors, Come Dine With Me, Homicide Hunter, and probably most endearingly Most Haunted.
Work on the new product is underway, with a launch planned for the second half of 2024. Further details on the brand and product will be announced in early 2024.
