Rakuten TV expands FAST offering in Europe with 21 new channels

AVOD and FAST channel platform Rakuten TV has launched 21 new channels across Spain, Italy, and France as part of ongoing expansion plans across key territories. 

The new additions will offer a variety of entertainment across lifestyle, nature, film, animation, music, and culture.  All the channels are either available immediately or set to launch within the coming months, Rakuten said.

In Spain, seven new FAST channels have been acquired: Mi Casa, Buen Viaje, Crimen TV, Naturaleza and Pongalo from US streaming entertainment provider Xumo, Love Nature and World Poker Tour.

Under a new deal with Xumo, Rakuten has added lifestyle channel Mi Casa travel channel Buen Viaje and natural history channel Naturaleza, along with drama and telenovela channel Pongalo and true crime channel Crimen TV.

In Italy, seven new channels will be added to the platform: Shorts, BFC Forbes, Radio Italia Trend, Cuore Ribelle, Italian Fishing TV, Brindiamo! and Filmrise Sci-Fi.

The new channels focus on film and television, business, sports, and lifestyle.

In France, seven new channels – Museum TV, My Zen TV, Universciné, Anime Digital Network (ADN) Wild Side TV and Zylo’s Emotion’L and Ciné Nanar Channel – are joining the Rakuten TV platform. Universciné  focuses on the promotion and distribution of independent cinema and Anime Digital Network is a manga streaming channel.

Wild Side TV from Wild Bunch is a new free-to-view (AVOD) film channel, offering independent cinema from around the world.

Zylo’s Emotion’L is a film channel aimed at women with a mix of romance, comedies and thrillers, while Zylo’s Ciné Nanar Channel, is a new FAST channel dedicated to a mixture of nostalgic movies that focus on action, disaster and creature movies in the fight and sci-fi/ fantasy realm.

All channels are available immediately except for World Poker Tour, Motorsport, Emotion’L and Ciné Nanar Channel, which will come to the platform in the near future.

Rakuten TV linear channels are currently accessible for free on the Rakuten TV app on selected Samsung, LG and Vestel Smart TV devices. Users can launch the app with a single click through the branded remote-control button and the pre-installed app.