Rakuten TV also operates in Japan, but with a different business model. We run from Barcelona and we have people in different countries to make sure that we have the relevant content for each country.

Does it work closely with its European streaming operations or are they quite separate? Rakuten originated in Japan, where it also operates a streaming service. We could do 1500 but the idea is to select the right channels, the good content, and that’s our differentiation compared to other platforms. So in terms of channels, we are distributing around 500 channels throughout the 43 countries we are operating in. In our case, our priority is quality of content rather than quantity. But clearly, there is a profusion of content, and there will be a big difference between the platforms.

Read on for Dufour’s take on the industry pivot to FAST, Rakuten’s USP and the future of streaming.ĭo you feel like the market for FAST is getting saturated? “It’s the case for our own channel, but also with third party channels that we are distributing on our platform.”

“We want to build a trustworthy brand so that when people go to the Rakuten TV channel, they know that they will find good content, relevant content,” he says of the new FAST channels. Unlike many of the company’s competitors, who are chasing original and exclusive content to lure in new subscribers, Dufour’s watchword is “quality.” Rakuten TV already offers TVOD and AVOD and its latest venture, unveiled last month, is the launch of two new FAST channels, one for reality/factual and the other for crime.

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