BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), has debuted a slate of free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels on Paramount Global’s Pluto TV platform in Europe.
The content streams include three new FAST channels for the popular BBC series “Top Gear,” which will offer classic, road trip and challenge-based episodes of the program. It will complement the standalone BBC Top Gear channel that is already available on Pluto TV in Europe, particularly in the Nordic region.
“Expanding the Top Gear universe on Pluto TV further reinforces our commitment to give our audiences the content they love, curated for them to enjoy in unique and exciting ways,” said Katrina Kowalski, the Senior Vice President of International Content Programming and Acquisitions at Pluto TV, said in a statement. “At Pluto TV, we are continuously finessing our FAST strategy, aimed at pre-empting what our viewers want next, and the launch of these curated channels does just that, while further demonstrating our commitment to bringing premium entertainment content to our audience all over the world.”
In Spain, the BBC is working with Pluto TV on a new FAST channel that will offer re-runs of the popular drama “Call the Midwife.” The channel could debut in other territories over the coming months.
“BBC Studios’ rich catalog has enabled our rapid growth in the FAST space and evolving partnership with Pluto TV,” said Kasia Jablonska, the Director of Digital and On-Demand for the BBC’s EMEA business. “The launch of four additional channels in two new EMEA regions highlights the popularity of our globally recognised brands. We saw a real opportunity to give audiences enhanced access to their favourite episodes from Top Gear and Call the Midwife archive. I’m excited for new and existing audiences in Spain and the Nordics to enjoy even more award-winning BBC shows on the Pluto TV platform.”
Pluto TV in the Middle East and North Africa will also receive BBC Studios content streams, though specific channels and territories were not named by the companies.
BBC Studios operates as the commercial arm of the public broadcaster BBC. The business licenses popular BBC series for international distribution, with the aim of generating commercial revenue to support the BBC’s overall operations.
