Pluto TV Signs Agreement for 700 Hours of BBC Programming
The ad-supported free video streaming service Pluto TV has signed a deal with BBC Studios to bring nearly 1,000 episodes of its programming—comprising over 700 hours of video—to a U.S. audience. Viewers will be able to see shows such as Being Erica, Bedlam, Primeval, and Robin Hood.
Two especially popular shows—Doctor Who and Antiques Roadshow—will get their own pop-up channels within the app. Pluto TV is getting over 200 episodes of fan-favorite Doctor Who episodes featuring the earliest five Doctors, as well as over 300 episodes of Antiques Roadshow. While "pop-up" implies that the special channels will go away at some time, a Pluto TV rep said they will be up indefinitely.
All BBC Studios content will be available to U.S. viewers starting in May.
“Pluto TV is elated to be able to expand our range of programming by adding such an esteemed and regarded brand as the BBC,” says Amy Kuessner, senior vice president of content partnerships for Pluto TV. “The BBC has long been a key international entertainment leader known for captivating audiences with content that transcends time."
Pluto TV was acquired by Viacom in March 2019 for $340 million. It streams over 100 live linear channels and offers thousands of titles on demand.
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