Rakuten TV Launches its AVOD Service in Europe
15.10.2019 11:30:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Rakuten TV, one of the leading video-on-demand platforms in Europe, today announced the launch of its first AVOD - ad-supported video-on-demand - channels within the platform. This new business model will allow viewers to watch a wide range of content for free.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191015005048/en/
Rakuten TV's new UI 4.0 including "Free" section (Photo: Rakuten TV)
The free section of Rakuten TV will launch with an initial offer including Hollywood and local content to be expanded to additionally include exclusive Rakuten content, TV series, documentary series, news and sport channels in the coming months - with a combined linear and on-demand offer.
Among the exclusive content, Rakuten TV will present on its AVOD channel Matchday - Inside FC Barcelona, the new documentary series about FC Barcelona from the inside, offering previously unseen and exclusive scenes from the players’ private lives. Narrated by John Malkovich, Matchday – Inside FC Barcelona is a creation of Barça Studios, FC Barcelona’s own production house, in collaboration with Kosmos Studios, Rakuten, Inc. in association with Rakuten H Collective Studio and Producciones del Barrio.
Expanding its business model proposition, Rakuten TV will be the first to combine TVOD and AVOD products across Europe, meeting the changing needs of viewers. The free ad-supported channels will enrich the original proposition of Rakuten TV - Your Cinema at Home - offering Smart TV viewers the best cinematic experience with the latest new releases in the best audiovisual quality. Thanks to the presence of a remote control button providing direct access to the app on major Smart TVs, Rakuten TV content will be just a click away for over 30 million households across Europe.
In a time when the streaming industry is increasingly changing and exploring avenues such as AVOD, Rakuten TV is proud to pioneer this trend in Europe as the main VOD platform combining different business models - TVOD, AVOD and SVOD - which are oriented around meeting all audience needs.
Jacinto Roca, Rakuten TV Founder and CEO, stated: “We are incredibly proud to take this step after having tripled our presence in Europe just a few months ago. Rakuten TV continues to evolve rapidly alongside consumer trends within the industry, where there is a clear trend of advertisers moving away from linear TV and towards VOD. This is a unique opportunity for Rakuten TV which has already direct access to millions of European households through its branded remote control button of the main Smart TV brands. This is the mere beginning of a huge project which will see the launch of additional channels and exclusive content in the coming months”.
The service will be available in beta version, across the complete 2019 SMART TV line up, and will be progressively rolled out in other platforms including mobile and desktop.
Advertising sales will be managed by Rakuten Marketing, a subsidiary of Rakuten Inc. Nick Stamos, Rakuten Marketing CEO, stated: “Advertisers and agencies are eager to be among the first to showcase their brands in this exclusive and groundbreaking advertising platform. As VOD is emerging as a powerful media channel, our clients have been anticipating this launch from RakutenTV, so we are very excited to bring this new proposition to market across Europe.”
Rakuten Viber, Rakuten’s instant messaging service, will also be involved in the project, leveraging its community of 2 million Barça fans to promote Matchday.
Nielsen will be the data partner (DMP-data management platform) used to target advertisements at a digital level
This news comes alongside a renewed platform design for Rakuten TV, with a more attractive look & feel, a more intuitive user interface and a simpler user journey. Within the new interface, viewers will discover the new channel offering featuring ad-supported content inside the ‘free’ section implemented within the header menu.
The announcement took place during the conference “AVOD on the Rise” at MIPCOM 2019, where Founder and CEO of Rakuten TV, Jacinto Roca, spoke about the AVOD industry and its evolution with other top players in the entertainment field.
Rakuten TV
Rakuten TV is one of the leading Video On-Demand platforms in Europe. It offers a TVOD service (Transactional VOD) providing viewers a true cinematic experience with the latest new releases in the best audiovisual quality. It also includes an AVOD (Advertising VOD) section, Rakuten TV Free, in a blend of thematic channels embracing Hollywood classics, local, exclusive and themed content, all for free.
Rakuten TV is available in 42 countries and forms part of Rakuten, Inc., one of the world’s leading internet services companies, offering a wide variety of services for consumers and businesses, with a focus on e-commerce, fintech and digital content. Rakuten, headquartered in Japan, is also known for its partnerships with FC Barcelona, the NBA, the Golden State Warriors, Davis Cup and Spartan Race.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191015005048/en/
Contact information
Media Contacts:
For further information please contact:
Premier PR – Rakuten TV
Charlie Wainwright - Premier PR on behalf of Rakuten TV
charlie.wainwright@premiercomms.com
0207 292 7372
Rakuten TV
Fabiana Cumia – Communication Director – fabiana.cumia@rakuten.com
Iraia Arza – PR & Communication Specialist – iraia.arza@rakuten.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
LR Health & Beauty Strengthens Its Management Team With Martin Lipp as New Chief Financial Officer (CFO)7.9.2026 16:36:00 EEST | Press release
The LR Health & Beauty GmbH, Europe’s leading social commerce company for high-quality nutritional supplements and beauty products, is strengthening its management team: effective 7 September 2026, Martin Lipp takes over as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and joins the Executive Management Team. In his new role, Martin Lipp will be responsible for Global Controlling & Finance, Legal, IT and Operations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907262360/en/ Martin Lipp, new CFO of the LR Group “With Martin Lipp, we are gaining a highly experienced international finance executive with extensive expertise in managing and transforming businesses. During the current transition phase, he will enrich the senior management in particular with his strong transformation expertise and excellent know-how in the areas of finance, operations and IT. Together, we will consistently drive forward the implementation of our strategy with
Capcom’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword Sells Over 1 Million Units on Launch Day!7.9.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Capcom Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:9697) today announced that worldwide sales of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the latest title in the series, have surpassed 1 million units on the first day of its release. Driven by the performance of this title, cumulative sales of the Onimusha series have now surpassed 10 million units. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907554827/en/ Onimusha: Way of the Sword key art Onimusha: Way of the Sword, which marks the first new title in the series in over 20 years, is a swordplay action game featuring protagonist Miyamoto Musashi that is set in Edo-era Kyoto. This title enhances the exhilarating sword-based action of the series with cutting-edge technology while also providing a compelling story and beautiful visual depictions. In addition, through several marketing initiatives prior to launch, such as multiple demo releases and hands-on exhibitions, Capcom worked to expand awareness among a
A2RL Sets New International Benchmark with Europe’s First Five-Car Autonomous Race7.9.2026 15:16:00 EEST | Press release
The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) completed the first-ever multi-car autonomous race in Europe at the Imola Circuit in Italy on 5 September 2026, as part of ACI Racing Weekend. Kinetiz (UAE) won the League’s inaugural international race, across 12 laps of one of the most technically demanding circuits in world motorsport. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907943650/en/ A2RL Sets New International Benchmark with Europe’s First Five-Car Autonomous Race (Photo: AETOSWire) Organised by ASPIRE, the grand challenges arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), A2RL brings together key players across Abu Dhabi’s autonomous mobility ecosystem, with strategic oversight from the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC). A2RL has evolved from a public testbed for AI under extreme race conditions into a competitive racing series. Imola marked the League’s first international chapter foll
Dubai Chambers to Train 14,000 Private Sector Companies in Agentic AI7.9.2026 13:15:00 EEST | Press release
Dubai Chambers has launched specialised Agentic AI training for more than 14,000 private sector companies, helping businesses build the skills needed to adopt the technology across their operations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907193930/en/ H.E. Eng. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori speaking during the launch of the training programme (Photo: AETOSWire) The training forms part of Dubai’s wider programme to transition the private sector towards Agentic AI, launched under the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. Delivered through the new Dubai Chambers Academy, an integrated e-learning platform, the training provides practical guidance on applying Agentic AI in business. Participants will explore tools and solutions that can improve operations, effici
REPLY: A Face Only A Mother Could Love by Robert Gaudette Wins the Reply AI Film Festival 2026, the International Competition Exploring the Intersection of Cinema and Artificial Intelligence7.9.2026 13:02:00 EEST | Press release
Canadian filmmaker Robert Gaudette, with his short film A Face Only A Mother Could Love, has won the Reply AI Film Festival 2026, the international competition created by Reply to explore new frontiers in cinematic language through the use of artificial intelligence. The award was presented on Sunday 6 September in Venice, during a ceremony organised by Reply and Mastercard at the Match Point Arena, set up at Tennis Club Venezia on the Lido, alongside the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260907478421/en/ Canadian filmmaker Robert Gaudette, with his short film A Face Only A Mother Could Love, has won the Reply AI Film Festival 2026, the international competition created by Reply to explore new frontiers in cinematic language through the use of artificial intelligence. Now in its third edition, the Reply AI Film Festival received more than 3,000 short films from 76 countri
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom