Viacom launches on-demand streaming app for MTV reality shows
MTV owner Viacom has launched a new streaming app aimed at younger audiences as it joins a growing list of broadcasters offering an on-demand service.
MTV Play, which will initially be available only in the UK, will offer a range of catch-up and box set programmes, as well as a live feed of MTV’s broadcast channel.
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The subscription app will cost £3.99 a month and is aimed at younger audiences who want to catch up on the channel’s youth-focused reality shows. Hit series Geordie Shore and older shows such as The Hills will be among the offerings on the mobile app.
While the service will initially only be available through the App Store or Google Play, Viacom said it will be distributed with telecoms partners in the future.
“Our major distribution partners such as Sky, Virgin Media and BT do an excellent job of bringing MTV to younger audiences across the UK, but we know there is a segment of younger potential MTV fans who sit beyond the basic pay-TV bundles,” said Viacom senior vice president Arran Tindall.
“MTV Play puts the full MTV content experience directly into the hands of young people for the first time in a way that is accessible and affordable.”
Viacom already runs two streaming services aimed at children, but MTV Play marks its first move into a wider demographic.
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The launch is the latest addition to a growing list of firms looking to challenge on-demand giant Netflix and cash in on changing viewer habits.
Apple, Disney, NBS and IMDB are among the firms that have revealed plans to launch a streaming services in the coming years.