BBC Studios, Pluto TV Strike Content Deal

BBC Studios and Pluto TV have reached an agreement where the Britsh programmer will provide select titles across its library to the free ad-supported streaming service.

As part of the deal, Pluto TV customers will get access to series like Being Erica, Bedlam, Primeval, Robin Hood, and others. The streamer also plans to launch two of their signature-style single-series Pop-Up channels with Classic Doctor Who and Antiques Roadshow.

An assortment of fan-favorite Classic Doctor Who stories starring Tom Baker (in The Deadly Assassin, The Ark in Space, The Robots of Death, and more), Peter Davison (in EarthShock, The Caves of Androzani), Jon Pertwee (in Planet of the Spiders, Terror of the Autons, and more), and the very first Doctor, William Hartnell (in The Dalek Invasion of Earth) will be featured on Pluto TV’s Pop-Up channel.

“This new Pluto TV enterprise is appealing for us as we continue to attract new audiences through the creation of branded pop-up channels like Classic Doctor Who and Antiques Roadshow and expand on opportunities for existing fans to find their favorite shows to stream, in a unique way,” said BBC Studios — Americas SVP digital strategy and franchise business management Beth Clearfield in a press release.

BBC Studios content will launch on Pluto TV in May of 2019. Since purchasing the streaming video service in March, Viacom has focused on using the platform to help it attract younger viewers. 

“Pluto TV is elated to be able to expand our range of programming by adding such an esteemed and regarded brand as the BBC,” Pluto TV SVP of content partnerships Amy Kuessner said in a press release. “The BBC has long been a key international entertainment leader known for captivating audiences with content that transcends time. We are incredibly proud and eager to introduce BBC Studio’s evergreen content to Pluto TV audiences.”