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
Incyte Announces FDA Approval of Jakafi XR™ (ruxolitinib) Extended-Release Tablets for the Treatment of Myelofibrosis, Polycythemia Vera and Graft-Versus-Host Disease2.5.2026 00:28:00 EEST | Press release
Incyte (Nasdaq:INCY) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Jakafi XR™ (ruxolitinib) extended-release tablets for the treatment of adults with intermediate- or high-risk myelofibrosis (MF); adults with polycythemia vera (PV) who have had an inadequate response to or are intolerant of hydroxyurea; as well as adults and children aged 12 years and older with steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or chronic GVHD after failure of one or two lines of systemic therapy. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260501334677/en/ “The approval of Jakafi XR reinforces Incyte’s leadership in hematology and our focus on meeting the evolving needs of patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and GVHD,” said Bill Meury, Chief Executive Officer, Incyte. “Jakafi XR offers appropriate patients and physicians a once-daily option, expanding choice without changing the well-
Barilla Hosts Surprise Formula 1® Family Reunion Dinner During Miami Race Weekend1.5.2026 19:08:00 EEST | Press release
A special invitation, a table, and a plate of pasta shared by people who are often apart. That’s all it took for Barilla to bring the spirit of togetherness to Miami during the opening day of the FORMULA 1® CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260430832316/en/ Barilla hosts Arvid Lindblad, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Nico Rosberg with Chef Massimo Bottura at Torno Subito, where the Formula 1® community came together for a surprise dinner. Barilla, the Official Pasta Partner of Formula 1®, welcomed team members and their families to Torno Subito Miami, the restaurant by three-Michelin-starred Chef Massimo Bottura, with the kitchen led by Chef Bernardo Paladini, for an evening where engines were switched off and everyday life took center stage. The night also celebrated the start of the new partnership between Barilla and the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (VCARB) Formula 1® Team, a meeting of
TIME Names Xenco Medical one of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies in the World and the Winner of the 2026 TIME100 Impact Award in Health1.5.2026 13:07:00 EEST | Press release
Time Magazine has named pioneering medical technology company Xenco Medical as one of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies in the World and the Winner of the 2026 TIME100 Impact Award in Health. Widely regarded as the most prestigious recognition in business and technology, being selected to the TIME100 List remains the most coveted accolade that a company can achieve globally. The TIME100 Impact Awards are given to only 5 recipients each year, making it the rarest of honors that a company can receive and a profound recognition of transformative, global impact. Xenco Medical was honored by Time as the sole recipient of the TIME100 Impact Award in Health in 2026, signifying its leading, global distinction in impact on healthcare. According to Time Magazine, the TIME100 Most Influential Companies list highlights “companies making an extraordinary impact around the world.” The honor bestowed by Time comes after Xenco Medical was named the 2025 Medical Device/ Diagnostics Company of the
Inspirit Capital Completes Acquisition of Kaplan Languages Group1.5.2026 02:17:00 EEST | Press release
Inspirit Capital, a specialist investor in corporate carve-outs, and Kaplan, the global education company, have announced the completion of Inspirit’s acquisition of Kaplan Languages Group (KLG) from Kaplan. Financial terms are not being disclosed. KLG, a leading global language education platform, comprises Kaplan International Languages, Alpadia Language Schools, Azurlingua, and ESL Education. Inspirit Capital will support KLG in delivering on its ambitious growth plans, whilst continuing its fundamental mission to transform lives through language education. The next phase of ownership will see the development and launch of a refreshed standalone brand identity for KLG, with further announcements to follow on this in due course. KLG will continue to use the Kaplan name under a transitional license from Kaplan, Inc. until a new brand is announced. About Kaplan Languages Group Since 2006, KLG has provided the highest quality language education and cultural immersion experiences. Kaplan
Grindr Nominates Three New Directors to Its Board of Directors1.5.2026 00:16:00 EEST | Press release
Grindr Inc. (NYSE: GRND), the Global Gayborhood in Your Pocket™, today announced the nomination of Rob Solomon, Lisa Gersh, and Fadi Hanna to stand for election to its Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders on June 2, 2026. Rob Solomon is a deeply seasoned technology CEO and operator in consumer internet and marketplaces. He has held CEO and COO roles at scaled platforms including GoFundMe, Groupon, and Kayak-predecessor SideStep, and is currently CEO of leading electric aviation company H55. Lisa Gersh is a CEO and long-tenured public company director with deep experience across consumer brands, media, and commerce. She has served on the Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) board since 2010 and has led businesses including Oxygen Media, GOOP, and Alexander Wang. Fadi Hanna is Chief Risk Officer at Bloomberg L.P., overseeing enterprise risk across the organization. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan and has served on the board of Immigration Equality. “Over the last few years, we bu
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