ITV Studios to launch FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus

ITV Studios partners with Samsung TV Plus for the first time to launch two new channels

ITV Studios is partnering with Samsung TV Plus for the first time to launch two brand new channels in Europe, bringing hours of much loved content to viewers.

The new FAST channels, free ad-supported streaming TV, with associated AVOD, include the following:

• Storylands – a brand new channel set to become the home for the best European drama, produced by labels which are part of ITV Studios. This includes dramas such as the critically-acclaimed Norwegian legal series Aber Bergen; period drama Un Village Français and the intriguing procedural crime drama from the producers of Gomorrah, called Masantonio.
• A dedicated Hell’s Kitchen channel, which will feature round-the-clock episodes of the hit US version of the Gordon Ramsay show.

They will initially kick off in the UK, before being rolled out to European markets, including Germany, Italy, and beyond. The move is the next step in ITV Studios’ on-going growth into the rapidly evolving FAST/AVOD market and one of many ways they are looking to exploit the rich catalogue of 90,000 hours of content. It follows the launch of four non-scripted YouTube channels last year – Our World, Our Life, Our Stories, Our Histories, showcasing the most successful nature documentaries and everyday lives that shape Britain, amongst other content.

Ruth Berry, Managing Director at ITV Studios Global Distribution, said: “We are very excited to partner with Samsung TV Plus to launch FAST channels in EMEA. We have an amazing library of 90,000+ hours of IP and the FAST/AVOD space is a key strategic focus for ITV Studios as we look to provide global audiences with new ways to access some of our best known scripted brands, formats and non scripted entertainment content.”

Richard Jakeman, European Head of Business Development for Samsung, said: “The growth of Samsung TV Plus has everything to do with the quality of the content. We are working hard to deliver the best content possible to our customers, wherever they are. The addition of Storylands by ITV Studios and Hell’s Kitchen will enforce our commitment to a wide variety of quality programming for everyone.”

Fast channels are designed to mimic live television with ads, as opposed to on-demand subscription-based services. Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s free ad-supported app delivering instant access to an ever-growing library of channels, will broadcast content from the ITV Studios catalogue 24/7 across all 2016 onwards Samsung Smart TVs as well as select Galaxy devices.