Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) (“Corus”) and Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA) (“Paramount”) announced that Pluto TV, the world’s leading FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) service, will launch in Canada this fall. Launching with more than 100 unique, curated channels and over 20,000 hours of content, the service will offer a full spectrum of free programming including drama, comedy, lifestyle, kids, movies, around-the-clock news, and more. This sees Corus’ leading ad sales capabilities combined with Pluto TV’s best-in-class platform and technology, serving compelling content to audiences and providing a transformative model for advertisers.
At launch, Corus will be the ad representative to what is positioned to become one of the largest free premium ad-supported streaming services in the country. In addition, Pluto TV will offer a curated slate of Corus Original library series that span a variety of genres.
“Corus’ relationship with Pluto TV underlines our commitment to ad-supported premium video, building on the success of STACKTV, the Global TV App, and Premium Video on Demand,” said Greg McLelland, EVP and Chief Revenue Officer, Corus Entertainment. “The agreement further expands the volume of digital video inventory Corus has to offer, in a premium, brand-safe environment allowing our clients to achieve the impact of TV with the measurement and targetability of digital and connect with audiences wherever they are streaming.”
“Pluto TV is committed to further expanding its premium free offering for audiences around the world, and this game-changing partnership with Corus is a testament to that commitment. Following Pluto TV’s recent launch in the Nordics and the partnership we implemented with Viaplay, which served as the strategic framework for this deal, the upcoming launch in Canada will combine Corus’ incredible local content offering with Pluto TV’s global content and world class platform, positioning Pluto TV to become the leading free ad-supported streaming TV service in the country upon launch in the fall,” said Olivier Jollet, Executive Vice President and International General Manager, Pluto TV.
Pluto TV is the global leader in FAST, with nearly 68 million monthly active users who have streamed over 4.8 billion total viewing hours across over 30 countries and territories spanning three continents. Pluto TV will be available for free, with no registration required. Users will be able to watch Pluto TV via the Web, via the Pluto TV app for Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Samsung and LG devices, and via mobile apps on the App Store and Google Play.