NBCUniversal’s Hayu to launch in Canada

NBCUniversal International has unveiled plans to launch its female-focused subscription video-on-demand service Hayu in Canada this year.

This launch of the reality-theme service in Canada will extend the number of markets in which Hayu is available to eight. The service has been available in the UK, Ireland and Australia since March 2016 and in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark since November 2017.

The SVOD service features a mix of reality content, most of which debus on the service the same day as it premieres in the US, such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and spin-offs, along with The Real Housewives and Million Dollar Listing franchises.

In Canada, the service will be available direct-to-consumer via the hayu.com website on mobile, tablet and the web and can also be cast to connected smart TVs.

The streaming service includes over 5,000 episodes of reality content from over 150 shows with over 750 episodes added to Hayu each year., according to NBCUniversal.

Hayu also offers users the ability to download shows to view on the go without access to the internet.

“Given that reality content is hugely popular in Canada, we are pleased to be readying Hayu – an SVOD product with a proven track record – specifically curating the service for Canadian fans of the genre,” said Hendrik McDermott, SVP, branded on-demand, NBCUniversal.

“We look forward to introducing Hayu to a whole new community and to establishing the kinds of innovative partnerships we’ve set up in other markets.”