Trace to launch international SVOD service in June

Youth-oriented media group Trace will is due to launch Trace Play, a new international subscription video-on-demand service, beginning this June.

The millennial-focused service will launch first in France, Switzerland, Belgium, and other French-speaking territories in the Carribean, and then launch in the UK and US at the same time between two weeks to a month later.

Eventually it will be available in more than 60 countries in Europe, the US, the Caribbean and Africa in both English and French, with a Portuguese language version also in the works, according to Trace CEO Olivier Laouchez (pictured).

Speaking to TBI sister title DTVE at MIPTV, Laouchez said that Trace Play will be priced “cheaper than Netflix” and will offer “general entertainment focused on urban culture”.

This will include 4,000 hours of programming – some of it original and exclusive. Trace will offer content produced for its Trace Sports Star and Trace Music Star channels on the SVOD service and its linear music channels will also be available to watch on Trace Play.

“We are working with more than 100 different content providers from the big studios to guys you are never talking about,” said Laouchez.

“We are going to bring something very new that complements our existing offering, because we want people to continue watching our channels also on the linear, cable, DTH and DSL [platforms].”

Trace Play will be available initially on iOS, Android and web browsers with further developments to follow for platforms like Roku, TiVo, operator set-top boxes, games consoles and other streaming devices like Apple TV and Chromecast.

“This is the most important project that we are launching this year. We will soon announce certain very strong partnerships with different companies that have an interest in working with us on this project,” said Laouchez.

The Trace CEO first revealed plans to launch a subscription VoD service for sub-Saharan Africa in the first quarter of this year to DTVE back in October.