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ViacomCBS, NENT Group Team to Launch New Pluto Service in Nordics

Oulet: Variety

Journalist: Elsa Keslassy

ViacomCBS Networks International, a division of ViacomCBS, has joined forces with Scandinavia’s leading streaming company NENT Group to launch a new Pluto TV service across Sweden, Denmark and Norway in 2022.

Under the partnership, NENT’s standalone AVOD service, Viafree, will be integrated into Pluto TV. NENT Group will serve as the platform’s leading advertising sales partner. The new service will feature curated channels and on-demand programming showcasing international and local content, including “Paradise,” “Luxury Trap” and “Familien fra Bryggen,” on top of top-rated global content from ViacomCBS’ library, such as “The Hills,” “Awkward,” “MTV Unplugged” and “Catfish.” The offer will be completed by content from thematic channels like Pluto TV Movie, Pluto TV Crime, Pluto TV History and Pluto TV Comedy, among others.

Headquartered in L.A., Pluto TV has been growing its international footprint and is now established across three continents and 26 countries, including the US, Latin America, and Europe, with a global audience of over 54 million monthly active users.

Pluto TV now ranks as the first free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service in Europe with more than 500 channels. NENT Group is one of the 300 content partners that Pluto TV has across the world, along with the BBC, Mediawan, All3Media, Banijay, Fremantle, and Lionsgate. After launching in France earlier this year, the company bowed in Italy last month with 40 thematic channels spanning multiple genres.

The deal with NENT Group will mark a milestone for Pluto TV as it will bring together an AVOD service as Viafree with Pluto TV’s free TV service. “This is a game changer model that can redefine the free streaming business: we see great opportunities to expand the model in other markets,” said Olivier Jollet, managing director of Pluto TV International. “It’s a win win situation where we bring the eight years of investment in our very advanced tech platform, together with a global content pipeline,” added Jollet, who pointed out that “Pluto TV has become a $1 billion-a-year business globally this year.”

The executive said the move into the Nordics was “a logical step” considering it’s a “highly advanced streaming market with a very strong ad sales market.”

Raffaele Annecchino, president and CEO of VCNI, said “continuing to expand Pluto TV as the world-leading free ad-supported streaming TV service is a critical element of our streaming strategy.”

“The combination of our global content pipeline and Pluto TV’s best-in-class tech global platform, with NENT Group’s ad sales scale and powerful local Viafree content, will position Pluto TV as the leading player in the growing FAST/AVOD space,” added Annecchino. The executive said this “transformational partnership will boost Pluto TV’s growth internationally, and we expect to replicate this strategic model across all key international markets.”

Anders Jensen, NENT Group president and CEO, said he looked forward to forming this “innovative partnership that creates significant value for all parties.”

“Viewers can enjoy Viafree’s most loved formats as part of Pluto TV’s broad FAST and AVOD offering, while we are able to offer advertisers an even more attractive proposition,” said Jensen. He said the company “expects to have at least twelve million subscribers in 2025 with Viaplay.”

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As Blueocean Media Partners client advisor, Eduard is responsible for supporting and guiding clients editorially from high-potential content opportunities, negotiating favourable licensing agreements with major distribution companies and securing exclusive content for broadcast.

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During his career Annecchino has led a unique ecosystem of free to air (as Channel 5 in the UK, Network 10 in Australia, Telefe in Argentina and Chilevision in Chile), Pay TV networks (as Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central) and Streaming platforms amnong others. He has driven the transformation of the company towards streaming positioning Paramount+ and Pluto TV as leading players, introducing innovative and transformative strategies that drove long-term growth and financial sustainability.

Annechino has served on the boards of Viacom 18 India, SBS Media in South Korea, and in the newly created streaming platform SkyShowtime. Annecchino is an MBA graduate from I.E Business School and has completed the Media Executive program at renowned Harvard Business School and INSEAD Fontainebleau.