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
LTM Launches GCC Origin: A New Independently Operated Business Unit for Next-Generation Global Capability Centers28.10.2026 07:04:00 EET | Press release
LTM, the Business Creativity partner to the world’s largest enterprises, today announced the launch of GCC Origin, a dedicated business unit to help enterprises establish, operate, scale and transform Global Capability Centers in India. As GCC needs evolve in the AI era, enterprises are seeking greater scale, speed and integration. GCC Origin represents the evolution of LTM’s GCC strategy to meet these changing needs. Operating as a standalone business unit within LTM, GCC Origin will have dedicated leadership, sales and delivery teams, specialist expertise and significant investment. LTM has appointed Shailendra Singh to lead the business unit, reporting to Venu Lambu, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, LTM. GCC Origin brings together strategy, AI, technology, talent, infrastructure, operations and ecosystem partnerships under one integrated model. Spanning site selection, workplace and infrastructure, operational readiness and turnkey facilities across Tier 1 and Tier 2 c
Hitachi Unveils a New Global Digital Services Company Turning Cloud, Data and AI Into Measurable Business Outcomes: Hitachi Digital28.10.2026 02:00:00 EET | Press release
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, “Hitachi”) today announced plans to launch Hitachi Digital Inc. (“Hitachi Digital”), a new global digital services company, on April 1, 2027, in accordance with the integration plan announced in January 20261. Hitachi Digital will unite Hitachi’s U.S. subsidiaries, GlobalLogic Inc. (“GlobalLogic”) and Hitachi Digital Services LLC (“Hitachi Digital Services”) under a single company using the Hitachi brand, with a brand campaign launching today. Hitachi Digital will steadily guide enterprise digital transformation at the convergence of cloud, data and AI toward concrete business results. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261027531796/en/ Hitachi unveils a new global digital services company turning cloud, data and AI into measurable business outcomes: Hitachi Digital With approximately 35,000 professionals in 27 countries and more than 880 active clients, Hitachi Digital combines product a
Grid Dynamics Launches Business Process Consulting Practice to Bridge the Gap Between AI Investment and Business Results27.10.2026 22:05:00 EET | Press release
Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GDYN) (“Grid Dynamics”), a premier AI transformation partner for the Fortune 1000, today announced the launch of its Business Process Consulting practice, extending the company's AI transformation capabilities across the entire AI adoption lifecycle, beyond technology implementation to non-technical areas of enterprise AI value creation. Grid Dynamics has established itself as a leader in enterprise AI engineering, developing and deploying advanced AI solutions for some of the world's largest enterprises. Drawing on this experience, the company is expanding its focus to two critical factors in maximizing the business impact of AI: identifying the business domains and processes with the greatest potential for AI-driven improvement, and ensuring that the resulting solutions are successfully adopted across the enterprise. Starting with early discovery, the practice identifies and prioritizes high-value transformation opportunities, establishes busines
Logitech Announces Q2 Fiscal Year 2027 Results27.10.2026 22:05:00 EET | Press release
SIX Swiss Exchange Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR — Logitech International (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI) today announced financial results for the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2027. Sales were $1.22 billion, up 3 percent in US dollars and 2 percent in constant currency, compared to Q2 of the prior year. GAAP gross margin was 44.9 percent, up 150 basis points compared to Q2 of the prior year. Non-GAAP gross margin was 45.2 percent, up 140 basis points compared to Q2 of the prior year. GAAP operating income was $201 million, up 5 percent compared to Q2 of the prior year. Non-GAAP operating income was $231 million, up 0.4 percent compared to Q2 of the prior year. GAAP earnings per share (EPS) was $1.25, up 9 percent compared to Q2 of the prior year. Non-GAAP EPS was $1.51, up 4 percent compared to Q2 of the prior year. Cash flow from operations was $164 million. The quarter-ending cash balance was $1.51 billion. The Company returned $406 million of cash to shareholders in the qu
Hightouch Partners with Independent Media to Activate Reader and Commercial Data27.10.2026 18:01:00 EET | Press release
Hightouch, the leading agentic marketing platform, today announced a partnership with Independent Media, publisher of The Independent. Independent Media will use Hightouch to connect its customer data to marketing tools. With Hightouch, the company will send readers more relevant membership and subscription offers, build stronger audiences for its advertising partners, and grow its affiliate and e-commerce business. “Deepening customer relationships and delivering real value to our commercial partners requires moving seamlessly from insight to action,” said Krishan Gandhi, Director of Data Intelligence and Monetisation at Independent Media. “Partnering with Hightouch allows us to utilise our warehouse data directly into our engagement tools, powering real-time, omnichannel journey orchestration, while enabling us to build premium audience segments with far greater speed and agility.” “Independent Media has a large, loyal readership and strong relationships with advertisers,” said Matth
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