Pluto TV has established a new content partnership with Blue Ant Media, bringing four of the company’s free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels to its platform in Canada.
Paranormal-focused HauntTV, true crime channel Crimetime, history channel HistoryTime and DIY-focused Homeful are now all live on the platform. Like other channels on the Paramount-owned streaming service, all programming features advertising, with Corus serving as the ad representative in the Canadian market.
Homeful’s programming includes Mike Holmes series like Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection. HauntTV features the Dan Aykroyd-narrated Hotel Paranormal, Paranormal Survivor and Ghostly Encounters. Crimetime features series such as The Killer Within, How I Caught The Killer and An Unexpected Killer. HistoryTime’s series and documentaries include Hitler’s Gold, Fidel Castro: An Unauthorized Bio and Who Killed Gandhi?
Blue Ant had previously launched its channels on Pluto TV in other markets, which Jamie Schouela, president of global channels and media at Blue Ant, says has been a successful approach. HauntTV is available in the U.K., while Blue Ant’s nature-focused channels are available on Pluto in France, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Spain and the U.S.
FAST channels have been a growth priority for Blue Ant, appointing execs to lead its strategy in the space and beginning to consider producing original content for the channels.
Last week, Pluto TV added two other channels to its offering, building on the more than 110 it had at its December launch. Corus said in its Q1 results that Pluto was already having an impact on the revenue it is generating from new channels.