Pluto TV

Pluto TV

File:Pluto TV logo.svg
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Streaming television
Founded	2013 (2013)
Founder	Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin, Nick Grouf
Headquarters	Los Angeles , United States
Area served	Americas, Europe
Key people	Tom Ryan (CEO)
Products	Streaming television service
Parent	Paramount Skydance
Website	pluto.tv

Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported streaming television platform based in the United States, operated under the Paramount Skydance Direct-to-Consumer division of Paramount Skydance. Established in 2013 by founders Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin, and Nick Grouf, the company is headquartered in Los Angeles and caters to audiences across the Americas and Europe. Pluto TV provides digital linear channels designed to replicate conventional broadcast television, monetizing through advertisements shown during commercial intervals.

The service obtains content through direct licensing agreements with providers; as of March 2020, it maintained contracts with 170 content partners offering approximately 425 channels and over 100,000 hours of unique programming. In October 2020, Pluto TV was integrated into ViacomCBS Streaming—rebranded as Paramount Streaming in 2022—with Tom Ryan continuing as CEO. Users can access its offerings via the official website and mobile applications on Android and iOS platforms. By April 2023, Pluto TV had amassed a monthly active user base of 80 million.

Its channel lineup includes live streams from Viacom-owned brands such as Nickelodeon, MTV, and Comedy Central, alongside licensed channels from companies like Crunchyroll and original content channels such as Pluto TV True Crime. After Viacom's merger with CBS Corporation in 2019, Pluto TV became a complementary service to Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access), incorporating additional live channels including CBS News 24/7 and CBS Sports HQ.

Early years (2014–2019)

Pluto TV debuted its beta website on March 31, 2014, founded by chairman and CEO Nick Grouf, Tom Ryan, and Ilya Pozin. At launch, the platform featured nearly 100 curated channels that aggregated content from sources such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion, alongside collaborations with original web content creators and television networks including Funny or Die, QVC, Refinery29, RocketJump, and TYT Network. Pluto Inc. secured $13 million in Series A financing from investors like Universal Music Group, Sky plc, UTA Ventures, USVP, QueensBridge Venture Partners, among others.

In May 2014, the company introduced "myPluto," a digital video recorder feature enabling users to save their favorite programs. By July 2015, Pluto TV entered a distribution partnership with Hulu to stream ad-supported content from networks including ABC, NBC, and Fox; Hulu managed advertising sales for this content. The platform also expanded its programming through agreements with AOL, Endemol Beyond USA, Shout! Factory, Jukin Media, and multiple YouTube channels. In October 2015, Pluto added 20 additional channels from partners such as AwesomenessTV, Cracked.com, IGN, Just for Laughs, Legendary Digital Networks, Newsy, The Onion, and DHX Media (currently WildBrain), bringing its total channel count to around 120.

In May 2016, Pluto TV became accessible on Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 consoles through a distribution deal with Sony. That same year, Pluto Inc. raised $30 million in Series B funding led by ProSiebenSat.1 Media and Scripps Networks Interactive; other investors included Luminari Capital and Sky UK. This round valued the company at $140 million. In April 2017, Robert Magdlen was appointed chief programming officer to lead channel development and programming strategy.

On May 15, 2017, Pluto TV introduced a video-on-demand service offering licensed movies and series sourced from distributors such as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Lionsgate, Warner Bros., Viacom (which acquired Pluto two years later), Sony Pictures, Fremantle, Monstercat, King Features Syndicate, Nelvana, and DHX. By mid-2017, the platform averaged six million monthly users and ranked among Roku’s most popular channels. User numbers exceeded 15 million by October 2017; that month Pluto secured $8.3 million in funding led by Samsung Venture Investment Corporation.

In March 2018, Pluto partnered with SpotX to improve advertising monetization capabilities for media buyers entering the over-the-top content market. July 2018 saw a content agreement with Sony Pictures Television to stream more than 200 films and television shows. In August of the same year, Vizio incorporated Pluto TV into its WatchFree ad-supported streaming service available on SmartCast-enabled smart TVs.

Pluto expanded into European markets starting October 2018 by launching on Sky’s Now TV platform in the UK with over a dozen curated channels. That month also marked the selection of Tru Optik as its advertising measurement partner. In December 2018, Pluto launched services in Germany and Austria through partnerships involving Sky TV sticks featuring a combination of exclusive and third-party channels totaling roughly fifteen streams.

Acquisition by Viacom/Paramount Global/Paramount Skydance Era (2019–present)

On January 22, 2019, Viacom revealed plans to purchase Pluto TV for $340 million, intending to utilize the platform as a promotional vehicle for its traditional media brands while expanding its footprint in Latin America. The strategy included collaborations with internet and mobile service providers to generate advertising revenue through partnerships. The deal was finalized on March 4, 2019. Shortly thereafter, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) announced intentions to roll out Pluto TV globally, emphasizing an ad-supported streaming model to gain traction in a competitive subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) landscape.

On May 1, 2019, Pluto TV launched branded channels derived from Viacom Media Networks’ portfolio, including Paramount Pictures’ film content, Nickelodeon, BET, Comedy Central, VH1, Logo, TV Land, MTV, and Spike. These complimentary channels largely showcased archival material due to licensing constraints with traditional pay-TV operators. Certain channels featured curated specialty programming from Viacom and its affiliates.

The service became available on Comcast’s Xfinity X1 cable platforms on June 13, 2019. Subsequently, on July 1, 2019, Pluto TV introduced Pluto TV Latino, offering eleven channels in Spanish and Portuguese that included sports-oriented programming.

On August 13, 2019, National Amusements announced the merger of Viacom and CBS into ViacomCBS in a transaction valued at up to $15.4 billion. Pluto TV was positioned as a potential distribution outlet for CBS streaming content; by November 13, 2019, additional CBS channels alongside ET Live were incorporated into the lineup.

In September 2019, Pluto TV expanded its availability to mobile devices in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. By November of that year, monthly active users were estimated at approximately 20 million.

ViacomCBS declared the launch of Pluto TV in Latin America in March 2020 with a slate of 17 Spanish and Portuguese-language channels; the Brazilian market followed in November 2020. In January 2020, Pluto TV introduced a refreshed logo and rolled out a redesigned iOS app interface across multiple platforms by March.

By February 2020, Pluto TV reported an average of 22 million monthly viewers during the fourth quarter of 2019 and anticipated reaching 30 million by the end of the year. ViacomCBS planned to integrate Pluto’s content into an updated CBS All Access platform while preserving Pluto TV as a free standalone service alongside subscription options like CBS All Access and Showtime.

The platform launched on Virgin Media UK on July 9, 2020. On October 8 of the same year, ViacomCBS announced Pluto TV’s expansion into Spain, Italy, and France featuring a lineup of 40 channels accompanied by extensive on-demand offerings.

New additions in July 2021 included News 12 New York and Professional Bull Riders’ RidePass channel—the latter becoming exclusive to Pluto TV.

In September 2021, ViacomCBS agreed to pay $3.5 million to the Federal Communications Commission due to closed captioning compliance violations found across Pluto TV’s applications and websites.

By late 2021 and early 2022, Pluto TV extended its reach into Nordic markets through a joint venture with Nordic Entertainment Group (now Viaplay Group), replacing the Viafree AVOD service with a curated channel selection launched on May 18, 2022.

Following the parent company’s rebranding to Paramount Global in February 2022, ViacomCBS Streaming was renamed Paramount Streaming.

On December 1, 2022, Pluto TV debuted in Canada via a partnership with Corus Entertainment, which also contributed several network channels. Additional seasonal-themed channels and fresh content were introduced shortly thereafter. In December of that year, actress Drew Barrymore became a commercial ambassador for the service.

In April 2023, Pluto TV launched the CBS Sports Golazo Network in the United States by leveraging Paramount Global’s international soccer broadcasting rights with live matches and related discussion programs.

Paramount initially announced plans in November 2023 to merge Pluto TV with My5 in the UK by late 2024 but reversed this decision in August 2024. Instead, My5 was relaunched as a separate service while Pluto TV continued independently; both platforms were later consolidated under the unified "5" brand within that year.

In October 2024, Pluto TV entered into a new collaboration with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution.

As of December 2024, according to Media Technology Monitor data, Pluto TV held the position as Canada’s top free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform.

In April 2025, The Martha Stewart Channel, The Emeril Lagasse Channel, and ALLBLK Gems were added permanently to Pluto TV’s content roster.

Following the completion of the Paramount–Skydance merger in August 2025, CEO David Ellison announced intentions to unify the technology infrastructure supporting Pluto TV and Paramount+—and potentially HBO Max if merged—by 2026; however, consolidation of applications has yet to be confirmed.

Programming

Pluto TV adopts a conventional cable television framework, presenting content as distinct channels categorized by genre:

Current categories

• Featured – includes new channels and special programming events;
• Movies – channels dedicated to films, both general and genre-specific such as comedy, action, and horror;
• Comedy – features stand-up specials, sitcoms, sketch comedy, and curated viral video compilations;
• Classic TV – showcases vintage television series and cartoons, predominantly comedic;
• Westerns;
• Sci-Fi – science fiction series (introduced October 2023);
• Drama – dramatic television shows (introduced October 2023);
• True Crime – documentary series focused on true crime stories (introduced October 2023);
• Reality – reality-based and competition programming;
• Entertainment – a mix of general and niche entertainment content;
• Game Shows – primarily classic game show reruns (added July 2022);
• Daytime TV – soaps, talk shows, courtroom programs, and lifestyle series (added July 2022);
• News + Opinion – mainstream news coverage alongside opinion and commentary;
• Sports – live broadcasts, archived events, sports news, and analysis;
• History + Science – programming centered on historical events and scientific topics;
• Home + Food – lifestyle-oriented content related to home and cooking;
• Animals + Nature – wildlife and outdoor-themed shows;
• Kids – programming for children and young teenagers;
• Anime – Japanese animation, mostly subtitled versions;
• En Español – Spanish-language channels;
• Music Videos – music video channels and concert broadcasts (transitioned from audio music channels to Vevo in July 2020);
• Local News – regional news services including CBS News Local.

Seasonal channels

• Season's Greetings – temporary Christmas-themed movie channels and Yule Log streams available from November 1 through December 31; in November 2023, Pluto TV acquired streaming rights for the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade to air on a seasonal channel.

Former categories

• Explore – previously included travel, lifestyle, history, science, and special-interest channels.

By December 2024, Pluto TV provides approximately 425 channels through partnerships involving content syndication agreements and Paramount Skydance’s proprietary libraries. The platform carries traditional television feeds such as WeatherNation TV, Newsmax TV, Bloomberg Television, Sky News, Ion Television, Professional Bull Riders' RidePass, Eleven Sports (with some event substitutions due to licensing), Stadium, and TheBlaze. Pluto’s AVOD offerings also encompass CBS News 24/7, CBS Sports HQ, ET Live, Fox Sports, Nosey, NBC News Now, Scripps News (which integrates short-form news briefs during commercial breaks), Cheddar News, TYT Network, People TV, and Trinity Broadcasting Network. Moreover, Pluto TV features "pop-up channels" that provide temporary or specialized binge-watching experiences.

Availability

Pluto TV’s programming is accessible across a broad range of devices including desktops, mobile phones, and connected televisions. Supported platforms include Android devices; Apple iOS/iPadOS products; Android TV; Apple TV; Amazon Fire TV; Roku; Cox Contour Stream Player; Vizio SmartCast; gaming consoles such as PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S; as well as webOS, Chromecast, Virgin Media, in addition to computers running macOS or Windows. Channels operated by Pluto are also accessible through The Roku Channel’s live TV section.

In Canada, Pluto TV initially encountered restricted availability because of preexisting broadcaster rights. In June 2022, Paramount formed a partnership with Corus Entertainment to reintroduce Pluto TV into the Canadian market by late 2022. Corus assumed responsibility for advertising sales and contributed library content. The service officially resumed operations in Canada on December 1, 2022. During the launch event, Olivier Jollet—executive vice president and international general manager—announced intentions to debut Pluto TV channels in Australia by August 2023 via Paramount’s BVOD platform 10Play, along with ongoing plans for expansion into European and Asian territories.

See also

• 10 (VoD service)