The QYOU, the world’s first international 24/7 Pay-TV service of curated, high-quality, made-for-web video content for subscription video services everywhere, celebrates its first year on air with the announcement that it has secured distribution agreements in more than 30 countries across three continents, with new territories to be revealed soon.

Introduced at MIPCOM last year, the QYOU (pronounced The Q) has since signed carriage deals with pay TV distributors Deutsche Telekom in Germany, Star Times in sub-Saharan Africa, My HD in the Middle East and North Africa, Skylink in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, TV Vlaanderen in Belgium, Canal Digitaal and Online.nl in Holland, and Eesti Telekom in Estonia. The QYOU is now available in almost 5 million homes, with that number set to grow rapidly in 2016.

The QYOU’s global expansion has been fueled by the extension of its service to a complete TV Everywhere ecosystem, including 24/7 ad-free linear channels, mobile and TV apps, and localised programming for specific regional markets.

On the content supply side, The QYOU has closed numerous deals with major MCNs – Multi-Channel Networks – including FullScreen, Collective Digital Studio and more – providing the service with some of the best web-based content from around the world.

With the company having just completed a new round of equity financing for CDN$10.4 million, it is poised to expand its distribution and content activities into new territorieseven more aggressively.

“There’s been a seismic shift in the global entertainment landscape over the last decade. Online video has brought us some of the most captivating, inspiring, hilarious, and fascinating stories ever to be told and shared,” The QYOU Co-Founder and CEO Scott Ehrlich said. “And bringing the best of those stories into a subscription-worthy experience for the pay-TV environment allows providers to offer a complete mix of entertainment to their subscribers. One that’s carefully curated and packaged for a premium experience.”

Programming for The QYOU is presented by on-air presenters, known as Q-rators. Comprising some of the brightest Internet stars in their own right, Q-rators have their finger on the pulse of internet video culture, bringing their own particular sensibility to the programming. The QYOU’s international feed is offered in HD and commercial free, representing a unique addition to the linear channel lineup of pay-TV services. It is complemented by a VoD service and an array of mobile and TV apps to help meet the needs of an increasingly multiscreen, TV Everywhere world.

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