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
Kinguin Renews Ravelin Partnership After Cutting Ecommerce Fraud to “Industry-Leading Low”12.8.2026 12:04:00 EEST | Press release
Kinguin, a global digital games marketplace serving more than 20 million registered users, has renewed its partnership with AI-native fraud platform Ravelin. The agreement follows significant reductions in fraud and a shift to automated, scalable fraud detection. Since first partnering in 2018, Ravelin has helped Kinguin transform its approach to payment fraud. Kinguin has eliminated the need for real-time manual reviews, while overall fraud rates have declined by 87.5%. The renewal reflects growing confidence in AI-led fraud prevention at a time when ecommerce merchants face increasingly sophisticated attacks, particularly in the digital goods space where instant delivery also means instant results for fraudsters. Kinguin is where gaming and esports fans around the world can access their favorite games, choosing from almost 200 payment methods. This also makes it a magnet for fraudsters. Previously, Kinguin’s fraud team worked around the clock manually reviewing suspicious transaction
Delhaize BeLux Achieves Up to 90% Forecast Accuracy Using SymphonyAI's AI-Driven Replenishment Platform12.8.2026 10:05:00 EEST | Press release
When a grocery retailer operates under a pure B2B affiliate model, it cannot push excess inventory to its store partners — which means forecasting has to be right, or the distribution center absorbs the cost. SymphonyAI, a global leader in Vertical AI, today announced that Delhaize, part of the Ahold Delhaize Group, has deployed SymphonyAI's Demand Forecasting and Replenishment solutions across its 600-store affiliated network and five distribution centers in Belgium, replacing reactive, manually intensive ordering processes with an AI-driven, exception-based workflow. The Delhaize Le Lion / De Leeuw network has no less than 1113 stores in Belgium and Luxembourg. The store network consists of different formulas: Delhaize, Proxy, Shop&Go and louis delhaize. Customers can also shop online via www.delhaize.be, and either pick up their products at the collect points or have them delivered to their homes. Delhaize offers a wide range of over 20,000 quality products. SymphonyAI's Demand Fore
Align Technology Prevails in China Patent Infringement Action Against Angelalign12.8.2026 03:47:00 EEST | Press release
Align Technology, Inc. ("Align") (Nasdaq: ALGN), a leading global medical device company that designs, manufactures, and sells the Invisalign® System of clear aligners, today announced that the Jinan Intermediate People's Court in China issued a judgment in favor of Align in a patent infringement action against Angelalign Technology's operating subsidiaries in China ("Angel") (Hong Kong Stock Exchange: 6699.HK). In September 2025, Align filed a patent infringement action against Angel in the Jinan Intermediate People's Court, asserting Align’s patent related to extraction-gap-closure technology (CN113693748B). On August 10, 2026, the Jinan Intermediate People's Court issued a first-instance judgment finding that Angel's use of its MasterForce biomechanical simulation system and ATreat digital orthodontic treatment design system to generate A7 and A7 Speed premolar extraction treatment solutions infringes Align's patent rights. The court further found that the related aligner products m
Entrepreneurs Invited to Apply for 2027 SPIE Startup Challenge11.8.2026 21:40:00 EEST | Press release
Entrepreneurs around the world are invited to apply for a chance to pitch their optics or photonics technologies or products to a panel of expert judges at the 17th annual SPIE Startup Challenge. SPIE, the international society of optics and photonics, holds the competition at Photonics West every January, with multiple teams walking away with cash prizes. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260811090450/en/ Coalesenz won first prize for their hand-held, point-of-care coagulation analyzer at the SPIE Startup Challenge at Photonics West in January 2026. More than a simple pitch competition, the SPIE Startup Challenge is an entry point into the community of high-tech business development of new products in healthcare and deep tech, with an audience of experienced photonics innovators and investors. Cash prizes of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500 are provided by Startup Challenge Founding Partner Jenoptik. Also given is t
The Aga Khan Museum Welcomes Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan and Saira Bhojani to its Board of Directors11.8.2026 18:30:00 EEST | Press release
The Aga Khan Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan and Saira Bhojani to its Board of Directors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260811597825/en/ Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan, board member, Aga Khan Museum Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan joins the Board with a deep commitment to arts and culture. He brings an international outlook shaped by working with the Aga Khan Foundation and Aga Khan Music Programme. Committed to advancing pluralism and cultural dialogue, Prince Aly brings a fresh perspective that will help guide the Museum as it continues to evolve, engage new audiences, and expand its impact both in Canada and internationally. Prince Aly is the son of His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV and brother of His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V. Joining him on the Board is Saira Bhojani, Partner at Torys LLP and one of Canada's leading tax lawyers. Ms. Bhojani is wid
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