Rakuten TV, a VOD and streaming platform has added a selection of sport-focused channels to its free offering.
European League of Football, PlayersTV, SportItalia, SportOutdoorTV, and Unbeaten join the platform, offering a rich diversity of content and ease of accessibility for sport fans across Europe.
The latest additions expand the diverse range of sports content available. The current offering includes the Rakuten Stories channel – home to Rakuten TV’s original and exclusive content rooted in sports-, alongside existing channels EdgeSport, ESTV, FTF For The Fans, FUEL TV, Hard Knocks Fighting Championship, Impact! Wrestling, InTrouble TV, Lax Sports Network, MAVTV Motorsports Network, MMA TV, Motor 1, MotorSport, The Tennis Channel, USGA and World Poker Tour.
Rakuten TV offers an all-round viewing sporting experience. Whether as entertainment, inspiration for new adventures, a shot of adrenaline or to enjoy a dose of competition.
European League of Football, available in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, delivers the ultimate American Football experience on a range of devices at any time. Featuring exclusive content and news about the new European football league. Fans not only get all the games of the European League of Football, but above all background information, exclusive interviews and highlights around the clock.
PlayersTV, available in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, brings premium sports lifestyle content from world-class athletes. The channel has become home to a diverse collection of original series, co-produced by athletes and brand partners. From comedies and documentaries to reality shows and podcasts, all rooted in sports, culture and lifestyle, PlayersTV offers intimate access into the lives of professional athletes and a behind-the-scenes look at their passions, interests, and off-the-field pursuits.
More than 50 elite athletes are investors in PlayersTV including Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Carmelo Anthony, Damian Lillard, A.J. Andrews, CJ McCollum, De’Aaron Fox, Angel McCoughtry, Ken Griffey Jr.,Travis Kelce and Vernon Davis, among others. Rakuten TV users will be able to enjoy this month’s special releases, including the Futbol Stars Marathon (October 2), Hockey Season Opener Special (October 12), Basketball Season Tip-Off Marathon for the NBA finals (October 19), Baseball Greats to begin the World Series (October 26), and a Cooking Clean Marathon for world vegan day (November 1).
Cooking Clean is the first-ever, athlete-led plant-based cooking show hosted by basketball star and wellness enthusiast, DeAndre Jordan.
SportItalia, coming to Rakuten TV in Italy this October, is from the sport broadcaster which specialises in the production of football events. The channel will feature exclusive matches from the Brasileirao, Argentine and Primavera 1 championships as well as the Shakhtar Donetsk’s matches and the broadcasting of the contents of Barça TV and ManCity TV. It is Italy’s leading broadcaster for insights and news dedicated to the football market thanks to the broadcasting of Sportitaliamercato.
SportOutdoorTV, available in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, is a magnifying glass on the whole world of outdoor sports and the lifestyle connected to them. In addition to summer and winter sports, the focus is also on the world of travels and tourism, offering this way the most precise and panoramic stories about outdoor activities.
Unbeaten, available in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, is a digital first, sports media brand – a destination for fans of world sports. The English language sports news and entertainment channel showcases engaging, existing and original programming featuring high-profile sports stars, news, highlights, and developments across a spectrum of major international sports. Daily original news shows, Life’s a Pitch, Sport Confidential, The Football Review, FIBA World Basketball, Combat and The Inside Line will provide fresh round-ups and provide viewers with an appointment to view, with each day’s show focusing on a different sport. Additionally, Unbeaten has access to a vast catalogue of recent and historical series, and will roll out over 1,000 hours of content, across football, Formula 1, basketball, golf, tennis, combat and eSports, as well as a collection of other lifestyle sports. Future programming will include global championship events in topical magazine-style preview and review shows.
The sports offering on Rakuten TV endows a strong fan base and a highly loyal audience. With 25% more regular viewers than average, it presents a focused opportunity for advertisers to connect with particularly engaged audiences.
Rakuten TV is part of Rakuten Advertising’s portfolio of advertising solutions to bring high impact ad experiences. Leveraging extensive first-party data and premium content, via Rakuten TV, brands will benefit from unique discoverability, plus the potential of reaching more than 90 million households across Europe (through on-demand and linear programming).
Rakuten TV linear channels are currently accessible for FREE on the Rakuten TV app on Samsung and LG Smart TV devices (models from 2019). Users can instantly launch the app with a single click through the branded remote-control button and the pre-installed app on selected Smart TV devices.
