Paramount Global’s free streaming service is coming to Australia and New Zealand.
Pluto TV is expected to launch later this month, and will debut more than 50 free, ad-supported streaming channels of content from Paramount’s vast television and film library as well as news and shows that originate from Network 10, the Australian broadcast network owned by the company.
The new channels include 24-hour feeds with MTV reality shows, Nickelodeon cartoons and the Comedy Central animated hit “South Park,” among others. Unlike other regions, where Pluto TV is offered as a standalone app, the new Pluto TV-powered channels will be distributed within 10 Play, the streaming service affiliated with Network 10.
“These 50 Pluto TV channels represent our first step to engage with Australian audiences, and we are happy to mark this milestone by partnering with 10 Play, demonstrating once more the strength of our Paramount ecosystem,” Olivier Jollet, the executive vice president and international general manager of Pluto TV, said in a statement. “As pioneers in the [free, ad-supported streaming] industry, we are bringing a new and unique user experience through curated channels dedicated to this market. Our mix of local and international content which matches the needs of our local audiences is what makes Pluto TV so valuable for viewers, clients, and partners across the world.”
CBS Corporation acquired Network 10 in August 2017, and became part of Paramount Global following Viacom’s merger with CBS in 2019. That same year, ViacomCBS announced it was buying Pluto TV for $340 million.
Since then, Paramount has spent considerable money and effort building Pluto TV into a free streaming powerhouse. The streaming platform is now distributed in nearly three dozen countries, and became the first free streamer to be listed by name on Nielsen’s The Gauge report last year.
