Rakuten TV Launches its AVOD Service in Europe
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
Stronghold’s SHx Token Lists on Uphold27.11.2025 17:00:00 EET | Press release
Stronghold announced that its SHx token is now available for retail users to trade on Uphold, the global multi-asset digital money platform known for its transparency, regulatory alignment, and seamless support for assets across both the Stellar and Ethereum networks. The listing marks a major milestone for SHx, expanding access for users and businesses who rely on Stronghold’s token for payments, settlements, and governance participation. "Uphold is one of the only platforms that provides seamless support for both Stellar and Ethereum-based tokens, making it a perfect fit for SHx as we grow our multi-chain ecosystem. This listing was championed by our community, and we’re thrilled to deliver on a request that so many SHx holders have been asking for." — Tammy Camp, CEO & Co-Founder, Stronghold SHx is Stronghold’s native utility token, powering interoperable payments, DeFi-based financing, and community governance. With over 215,000 global community members and thousands of merchants o
Wipro to Power Odido’s Digital Future Through AI-enabled End-to-End IT Modernization27.11.2025 15:22:00 EET | Press release
Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading AI-powered technology services and consulting company, today announced a multi-year engagement with Odido Netherlands B.V.* to transform its IT landscape and enhance customer experience across their enterprise and consumer segments. By combining AI and deep consulting expertise, Wipro will help Odido improve customer engagement and satisfaction, improve productivity, and streamline operations to reduce costs. A key highlight of this multi-year engagement is the use of a self-funded model, where productivity-driven savings are reinvested to continuously fund new digital initiatives, ensuring that innovation remains both sustainable and scalable. As part of the engagement, Wipro will lead a full-scale modernization of Odido’s digital and enterprise technology landscape as well as drive IT simplification and automation. This transformation will be powered by Wipro’s WEGA and WINGS AI delivery platforms, part of Wipro Intelligen
Klarna Set to Take off With Lufthansa Group, Bringing Flexible Payments to Travellers Across Europe and the U.S.27.11.2025 15:00:00 EET | Press release
Klarna, the global digital bank and flexible payments provider, today announces a new multi-market partnership with Lufthansa Group, Europe’s leading airline group. The new agreement is facilitated by Klarna’s integration with Adyen, the financial technology platform of choice for leading businesses. From November, Lufthansa Group customers will be able to choose Klarna’s flexible payment options at checkout when booking travel experiences. This new integration gives travellers greater control and convenience by offering the choice to pay in full, pay later, or spread the cost of their journey over time. The new options will be available first to customers in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. “Travel is one of the most meaningful investments people make,” said David Sykes, Chief Commercial Officer at Klarna. “Together, we’re giving travellers the confidence to book their trips their way—with more flexibilit
GE HealthCare announces CE Mark for new digital 4D SPECT/CT system, StarGuide GX27.11.2025 13:06:00 EET | Press release
GE HealthCare today announced CE Mark for its new StarGuide™ GX system,i a new digital 4D SPECT/CT designed with excellent precision, clinical efficiency and impressive versatility. This milestone marks a significant moment in molecular imaging’s evolution, helping empower clinicians to expand research and help personalize care across a growing range of nuclear medicine applications and tracers – including the acquisition of alpha emitters. StarGuide GX comes at a pivotal time for the field of nuclear medicine. As complex diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease become increasingly prevalent, the demand for precision diagnostics and targeted therapies is accelerating. StarGuide GX helps meet this need head-on, enabling clinicians to break free from energy-range limitations and image tracers with exceptional clarity. With growing demand for digital SPECT/CT – partially driven by the rise of theranostics – GE HealthCare’s innovation arrives as departments seek all-
Deetken Impact Expands Climate Finance Leadership as Canada Joins Inclusive Climate Action Fund27.11.2025 11:07:00 EET | Press release
Deetken Impact, a Canadian impact investment firm, is proud to partner with the Government of Canada and announce their CAD$106 million commitment in the new Inclusive Climate Action Fund (ICAF), a USD$300 million blended finance vehicle that will mobilize capital for climate finance initiatives across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Announced at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil by the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, ICAF will meaningfully contribute to sustainable and climate-resilient economies in LAC through the strategic provision of capital and technical assistance to companies and projects that drive climate mitigation and adaptation in key sectors such as clean energy, sustainable agriculture and agroforestry, and green finance. ICAF aims to achieve ambitious impacts including reducing, avoiding, or sequestering more than 5 million tCO2 and expanding access to climate solutions for 1
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