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ViacomCBS is working on yet another streaming service
After Disney+, HBO Max and Peacock, were you hoping to see another puffed-up media company launch a streaming TV service? Because according to CNBC, that's what you're about to get. Apparently ViacomCBS isn't satisfied with only offering things like CBS All Access, BET+ or Nickelodeon's multiyear partnership with Netflix, and is planning to launch some kind of mega-offering that combines its many properties. Apparently the plan is to keep existing services operating, while marketing the larger umbrella subscription as an upgrade that doesn't cost additional money. Similar to AT&T's HBO Max, NBCUniversal's Peacock or the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle, the idea is that a combination of live sports, Paramount movies and kids programming will pull customers in -- no matter how fatigued they may be. Other content that could be a part of its includes PlutoTV, Comedy Central and MTV, with a base price of under $10 per month and options for ad-free access or the ability to tack Showtime onto the package. The rumor indicates we'll hear more about this around the time of its earnings call on February 20th.
How to get the most out of Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services
A Netflix or Hulu subscription alone won't cut it anymore. The streaming landscape is fracturing as bastions of old media rise up with their own services, offering a blend of originals and library material. Over the coming months, the streaming video options will multiply like Gremlins, as the likes of Disney, Apple, WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal and mobile platform Quibi hop into the game.
Viacom buys streaming startup Pluto TV for $340 million
Cable giant Viacom is buying the ad-supported streaming startup Pluto TV for $340 million in cash, with plans to turn it into the home for its slew of programmes. Expect shows and films from Viacom's properties -- including Paramount Pictures, MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central -- to hit Pluto TV as part of the buyout.
Vizio adds over 100 free streaming channels to its SmartCast TVs
Vizio announced today that it's launching a new free streaming service called WatchFree. Rolling out now, the service will be available on most Vizio SmartCast TVs and will include more than 100 channels, such as NBC News, MSNBC, Fox Sports, Crime Network, The Surf Channel, Cats 24/7 and multiple movie channels. The service is powered by the ad-supported free streaming service Pluto TV, which will soon add two pop-up channels that feature Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Unsolved Mysteries.
Oculus TV launches this month with a ton of streaming partners
Given that the main function of an Oculus headset is to let you escape reality for a while, using one to watch TV seems almost pedestrian. Yet it's a feature that's often overlooked, until now. Oculus TV is launching later this month and it's got a raft of entertainment partners on board, including Hulu, Showtime, Red Bull and Pluto TV, with more, including ESPN, in the pipeline.
Pluto TV adds 'ALF' and other classics to its free streaming library
Last we'd heard of Pluto TV, the ad-supported streaming service had just gotten a slew of shows from Hulu. Now Pluto is adding video-on-demand in the form of movies and TV shows from Lionsgate, MGM and Warner Bros. to complement its current programming according to Variety. Expected titles include the full run of ALF (seriously) in addition to the quirky Ryan Gosling movie Lars and the Real Girl among "thousands" of others. Pluto signed the deals earlier this month, and the programming should start appearing today.
Hulu's free, ad-powered shows are heading to Pluto TV
Up until now, Hulu has limited free videos to its desktop website and Android devices. But now, thanks to Pluto TV, a startup that offers an internet television service at no cost, Hulu's taking its ad-supported streaming content to more places. According to Variety, Pluto TV landed a deal that gives it access to everything available on Hulu's site, including shows from ABC, NBC, FOX and other TV networks, as well as movies. The partnership is a big win for Hulu too, since it will be able to deliver its free, ad-powered programming through Pluto TV's web (and, in the future, Android) application -- along with its own. There's no specific timeline on when Pluto TV plans to roll this out, but it is expected to happen "soon."
