ViacomCBS to launch Pluto TV into France, marking latest AVOD entry into the country

Olivier Jollet

UPDATED: ViacomCBS is to launch its AVOD streamer Pluto TV into France on 8 February.

Pluto, which requires no sign-up, will launch with 40 curated channels in France with a library that includes content from ViacomCBS brands and third parties.

The company also said that there will be a significant amount of local French content available thanks to partnerships with “a large number of publishers, broadcasters, and distributors”.

Pluto TV

Programming details have not yet been revealed but channels available at launch will include Pluto TV Ciné, Pluto TV Action, and Pluto TV Drama. Others will cover genres such as kids, animation, reality TV, lifestyle, crime and investigation, comedy, sports and documentaries.

The expansion of Pluto TV into France will follow the launch of fellow AVOD service Mango, which was introduced to French viewers last year and is available via the Molotov platform.

Pluto grew quickly during 2020, increasing its reach to countries across Latin America, including Brazil. In total, the service is now available in three continents and 24 countries with almost 36 million active users worldwide.

The company added that the next market to get the streamer will be Italy, with a launch planned for late 2021.

Olivier Jollet, the recently appointed SVP of emerging business at ViacomCBS Networks Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, said the launch marked “an important step” for the growth of the company’s streaming presence in Europe.

“Pluto TV has already demonstrated its strong appeal in many markets across the world like the UK, GSA, Latam, and Spain. I’m sure that with its market-centric approach and extensive reach, Pluto TV’s innovative digital model will transform the French streaming and television market, both in terms of consumer experience and ad sales offer.”

The expansion follows ViacomCBS’s reveal of its launch plans for SVOD service Paramount+, which came earlier this week.

The rebooted version of CBS All Access will roll-out in the US and Latin America on March 4, before being launched into the Nordics on March 25 and Australia in the middle of the year, where it will replace ViacomCBS’s existing streamer 10 All Access.

ViacomCBS president & CEO Bob Bakish has previously said that he wants its Pluto TV to “funnel” customers to the company’s SVOD’s, including Paramount+ and Showtime OTT.

This article and its headline has been amended to reflect the fact that Pluto TV will not be the first free AVOD service to launch in France.