Rakuten TV launches host of FAST channels

Rakuten TV has launched multiple new FAST channels across the UK and Europe.

The UK will see the RTV Biography channel, which focuses on the real-life stories of fascinating people from history, sports, movies and more - including Robin Williams, Elvis Presley, The Krays, Muhammad Ali, Jennifer Aniston, Megan Markle, Tina Turner, Seve Ballesteros, Dua Lipa, and Tom Cruise. 

In addition, Rakuten TV has expanded its partnership with A+E Networks EMEA to launch the Deal Masters and History Hunters FAST channels in the UK. Deal Masters looks at the wheeler dealers who use their knowledge and haggling prowess to turn a tidy profit, and features series such as Hardcore Pawn and Flipping Bangers.

Elsewhere in Europe, In Spain, Gipsy Kings is a new channel focussing on popular reality show that follows the day-to-day life of four well-known gypsy dynasties: the Salazars, the Fernández Navarro, the Jiménez and the Maya. In Italy, there is the launch of sci-fi channel RTV Fantascienza, and in France The Satisfaction Group channels (Les Anges, Les Secrets de Nos Regions, Qui Veut Gagner de Millions?, Les Z’amours and Le Meilleur d’Arthur) now offer viewers a mixture of factual entertainment including lifestyle, travel, reality and quiz shows. 

Rakuten TV’s chief content officer Marcos Milanez said: “We are very pleased to see top global and local providers investing further in FAST and we welcome these partnerships as it supports Rakuten TV’s continuous growth in providing locally relevant content to our audiences. Rakuten TV also remains committed to invest on its portfolio of owned & operated channels. We strongly believe in the success of our latest Single IP channels (Bio; Gypsy Kings), but also, launching the sci-fi channel (Fantascienza) will provide top-notch quality that this fan base of this genre deserves, to which we feel is currently being underserved in the market.”