Pluto TV: the unstoppable rise of AVOD and FAST models

Antonella Dominici, SVP Streaming South Europe, Middle East & Africa at Paramount (Paramount+ and Pluto TV), analyzes the consolidation in Europe and particularly in Spain of Pluto TV, an AVOD platform that is unashamedly committed to the FAST linear channel model.

A few days ago, the latest study by Digital TV Research confirmed an increasingly evident trend: the channels FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) were here to stay. These free ad-supported linear programming streaming services will reach a market of 18 billion dollars in 2028. These notable figures could lead to reflections on the downturn that the world is going through. SVOD, but, focusing attention on users, it reflects the penultimate change in market trend: linear programming returns; the viewer, sometimes, does not want to think, but rather enjoy the experience lean-back. That is, the “let's see what they throw away” of all life.

Pluto TV, an AVOD service specialized in Paramount's FAST model, has been able to anticipate this trend to build a free access platform with global aspirations. 35 countries (plus a good handful who took advantage of the trap of the VPN) already access a total of 1000 categorized channels by formats, themes or pop-up events. The last frontier, that of live linear programming, has recently begun to be crossed with the inclusion of proposals such as Euronews or specific events, making Pluto a possible candidate for aggregator of linear channels traditional.

Spain is one of the territories that has best received the proposal of Pluto TV, which sees how its catalog expands with the passing of the days thanks to hyperlocal proposals, agreements with some of the most relevant agents in the industry and the profile of the Spanish viewer. Antonella Dominici sheds light on the present of Pluto TV, its most imminent challenges or the value of the AVOD model compared to traditional SVOD proposals, among other topics.

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Pluto TV continues to grow and expand in Europe. What is the user response to this new model?

It's a great time for services FAST globally and for Pluto TV in particular: we are operating in 35 countries with a total of 80 million monthly active users and we have more than 1,000 channels worldwide. Our model is the answer to consumers' need to access content easily and for free in economically difficult times.

For its part, connected television (Connected TV) and the video in streaming They continue to boom, creating a great ecosystem for growth. In this sense, Pluto TV is present in the main European markets and we continue to add milestones: we just surpassed 100 channels in Italy this month and we have added new channels in France, for example.

Spain is usually a very attractive market for this type of proposals. What is your assessment of Pluto's first years in Spain?

Spanish consumers have shown great interest in Pluto TV's offering, with total viewing time increasing steadily.

In fact, we surpassed 100 channels in December 2021 and, since then, we have added new content partners such as RTVE (Spaniards in the world, The time of José Mota), Mediaset (The commissioner, Frank de la jungle, Without tits there is no paradise) and Aragón TV (documentaries for our travel, history and lifestyle channels), among others.

Our global study FREE, EASY, FAST shows that Spain improves the world average in several aspects: viewers' preference for a service that combines linear and on-demand content; the valuation of Pluto TV compared to other services that are not FAST, as well as the final purchase decision thanks to the advertisements shown in the service. Spain is the world leader in this last indicator, which demonstrates the great potential that the service represents for advertisers in the country.

What role do you think AVOD models will play among users in southern Europe? Will they compete head to head with SVOD or do you think they will reach a new spectrum of the market?

These models tend to be complementary and the services FAST They satisfy the need for a relaxed and free experience. At Paramount we have a strong ecosystem that includes linear channels and services FAST y SVOD. Our content and promotion work best when we leverage all of our assets. Pluto TV is a key piece for our integrated marketing strategy. streaming and acts as a conduit to our payment services.

For advertisers, we create opportunities with premium inventory in a safe, television-like environment, reaching younger audiences that are difficult to find on linear television.

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Pluto TV in Spain

How do Spanish users consume Pluto TV? What are the main consumption factors (such as channels, viewing times or type of content) that they opt for?

Our most in-demand content is very varied: from fact-based television entertainment –factual entertainment-, true-crime, international fiction, local content, stand-ups y sketch shows, to iconic series like Star Trek y Charlie's Angels. Movie channels are usually at the top of performance.

Spectators look for simplicity, they want enjoying television to be easy, no other set of decisions what to take

On the other hand, it is worth noting that there are channels and genres that work well in multiple markets. This includes content partner channels like forensic files and Paramount's own content such as Catfish, iCarly, sponge Bob y South Park. We've recently included more CBS content and favorites like Star Trek (GSA, Spain and Italy) and Feeling of living – 90210 (GSA and Spain).

Pluto TV is a global brand, although the trend between platforms is towards localization and customization of catalogs for each territory. How and with what objectives is the Pluto catalog built?

We have excellent local programming teams that personalize the experience to offer outstanding, quality content for each market, with a combination of international and local content. Pluto TV benefits from access to Paramount content, such as the iconic South Park; from our global agreements with partners such as Mediawan or Endemol Shine, and access to featured local content such as Alaska y Mario in Spain, which we just announced just two weeks ago.

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Linear channels in a VOD world

What is the importance of linear channels on Pluto TV? How do you create programming that can be attractive to users?

Linear channels are key for Pluto TV. We have an on-demand section, but the concept of accessing the service and having a wide range of content already broadcast is the core of our proposal. Viewers look for simplicity, they want enjoying television to be easy, not another set of decisions to make.

In this sense, thematic and personalized channels are key to offering relevant and easy-to-find content for our viewers. Furthermore, the temporal channels (pop-up channels) allow us to quickly connect with notable cultural moments, such as those recently released MTV Love Music, MTV Women y Pluto TV Women Protagonists on the occasion of International Women's Day and the channel The Best of The Drew Barrymore Show as a result of our marketing campaign with Drew Barrymore.

Pluto TV is also betting on linear channels with live programming. After Euronews, are you considering integrating other Spanish national and regional television channels?

The channel experience Euronews It is really positive and we are always looking to expand our catalog. In the last year, Pluto TV users in Spain have been able to enjoy special content such as Foo Fighters' tribute to Taylor Hawkins, the Concert Helping Hands de Metallica and the MTV EMAs 2022. However, the selection of content by our teams is the basis and most of our offer.

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Building the Pluto TV catalog

How is Pluto TV content management built? Do they opt for human resources, AI tools...?

Team selection of content is key for us: our programming is relevant to viewers because it is programmed by people who are as passionate about that content as they are. We have a team made up of experts who constantly search and decide what is most relevant to offer in each region.

Currently we focus on premium long-form entertainment, but we are exploring different genres that allow us to build a even broader audience.

Content and programming teams take the data as a reference when making content acquisition and channel launch decisions. We have the advantage of having millions of users who watch hundreds of channels every day, which provides us with data that we take into account when making decisions.

What is Pluto TV's strategy in UHD (4K, HDR, Extended Audio...)?

We are always looking for ways to expand our service, with a focus on distribution and accessibility; However, we consider the current offer to be truly complete: Pluto TV is available anywhere streaming, on almost all connected televisions (Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, Samsung TV +, LG Smart TV, LG Channels, Hisense TV, Windows), web, game consoles (XBOX and Sony PlayStation 4) and Android and iOS mobile devices.

Short videos are another trend with increasing importance in the industry. Do you think it's likely that this type of video will come to Pluto TV?

Content accessible on various platforms and through connected television (CTV) are showing excellent results when it comes to engagement and user recall of ads, and we believe that the content formats we currently offer are the best to meet the needs of both users and advertisers. We currently focus on premium long-form entertainment, but we are exploring different genres that allow us to build an even broader audience.

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A FAST future

What are the short and medium term objectives of Pluto TV in Spain?

Continue increasing the number of users and viewing time, as well as continue adding channels and content offerings, becoming an even more relevant service for our viewers and advertisers. The model FAST It is relatively new and there is still work to do to 'educate' the market and expand brand awareness among consumers.

What strategic and technological concepts is the future of Pluto TV based on?

Innovation is part of our DNA to improve the viewing and advertising experience, which is why we pay close attention to technology in our service. We are using an approach market-by-market for our expansion in streaming. This allows us to expand into new markets quickly and economically, with enormous potential, which includes various aspects and models: direct to consumer, a la carte; innovative agreements with local partners to expand our market share and enhance the content we offer, such as Viaplay in the Nordic countries or Corus in Canada, and continuous improvement of our technical capabilities, to offer the most appropriate space and measurement to our partners advertising.

An interview by Sergio Julián Gómez

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