Blue Ant brings OTT service to Canada

Toronto-based Blue Ant Media is bringing a content and advertising OTT platform to Canada.

Blue Ant, which produces, broadcats and distributes, has partnered with VOD app developer adRise to launch Tubi TV locally.

adRise launched Tubi TV, which is a free, ad-supported streaming service, in the US last year.

The platform debuted with 20,000 licensed TV shows and films from many TV distributors, including Starz Digital Media, ITV Studios Global Entertainment and DRG, Korea’s CJ E&M and MBC, Kino Lorber and The Jim Henson. It also had content partnership deals with the likes of Reuters, Funimation and Newslook.

Overall, there are now more than 40,000 titles across comprising genres such as films, cartoons and kids programming, classics, comedy, horror, action, cooking, Korean drama, fitness, men’s and women’s lifestyle, music, wildlife and nature, reality TV, and sci-fi.

“Blue Ant has always been committed to aligning advertisers and their brands with passionate audiences across all platforms,” said Jamie Schouela, who has tghis week been movd from a communications role to executive VP, Canadian networks, Blue Ant. “The relationship with adRise extends our commitment to the growing Connected TV space.”

“adRise is expanding internationally, led by the popularity of our VOD app, Tubi TV, which has grown to become the largest free, ad-supported streaming TV network in the world,” said Thomas Ahn Hicks, head of strategy and business development, adRise.

“Partnering with Blue Ant Media in the Canadian market is a great fit for us since they’re digitally-savvy, with robust experience on both the advertising and content fronts.”

Canada’s OTT services include Netflix and CraveTV.