Viacom, Telefónica LatAm mobile streaming deal
February 6, 2018
Viacom has closed a deal with Telefónica to make a wide range of its TV channels and content available for streaming by subscribers of the Movistar Play platform in Latin America.
Under the terms of the agreement, the first of its kind to be closed by Telefónica for its mobile and broadband subscribers, Movistar Play will carry live feeds of MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Comedy Central and Paramount Channel TV channels in the region beginning in the first semester of 2018.
A selection of Viacom’s mobile streaming apps – MTV Play, Nickelodeon Play, Comedy Central Play and Noggin – will also be available to Movistar Play subscribers, together with a broad range of content from the company’s brands that will be accessible on an on-demand basis through the platform.
This extends an existing carriage deal for VIMN’s linear channels and VoD content already available on Telefónica’s pay TV services throughout the region.
“Mobile streaming is growing in popularity across Latin America – to stay in touch with our young audiences we need our brands and content to be everywhere they are,” explained Rita Herring, Senior Vice President, Content Distribution, who brokered the deal on behalf of Viacom’s Americas division, commented. “We are very happy to extend our deal with Telefónica and add our channels, our content and our mobile products to their successful mobile TV offer through Movistar Play.”
Paula Figueroa, Director of Telefónica’s LatAm Video Unit, said the deal would allow the operator to add Viacom content to the selection of live channels available on Movistar Play, particularly Nickelodeon, MTV, Paramount and Comedy Central. “As such, Movistar Play continues developing its offer of unmatchable content, which brings the best combination of high quality on-demand content with the best live programming to all screens in the region,” she added.
The deal represents a global first for Viacom – the first deal of this kind struck directly with a mobile carrier to carry all its international flagship TV channels, as well as a selection of its mobile streaming apps and its VoD content.