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This streaming service is free and currently owned by ViacomCBS. It is a media conglomerate that owns several production networks and film companies. Today Pluto TV takes center stage as one of the free yet premium streaming services to go to.
True to their ad campaign that was run last year, encouraging people to simply log in and enjoy its content, indeed, it is a service where viewers need not login or sign up.
They can simply log onto the web browser or use the app to enjoy content from Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, AMC, and various live streaming channels.
All this comes without having to pay any subscription fee. Pluto TV is able to make money off ads that come on during the streaming broadcasts.
Another benefit is the ease of access. You can easily download and use the app on iOS, Android, or Roku devices. It is playable on web browsers as well as on smart TVs.
This free, live stream service has 250 and more unique channels. You get the most popular and new channels on networks such as CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and others.
Though sign up is optional, if you do sign up then you can customize your watching preferences.
Whether you want to watch movies, television shows, news, anime series, documentaries, or sports, these and many more genres are available on this platform. With a user account, you can find your watch list customized as per your watching preferences.
Besides showing popular series and shows of different networks, there are original contents to view as well.
Though it does not produce its own content, the platform does source and license content from several providers. This makes such content original on this platform alone.
As for the user-watching experience, it is akin to channel surfing or visiting menus on local cable TVs. When you are watching live streaming content you will come across several commercial breaks and ads.
That is the main revenue source for this platform and the way they can keep the service free for the viewers.
For older audiences who are familiar with traditional television shows and commercial breaks, watching Pluto TV is akin to going back to the days of one’s youth. This platform features genre-based several channels, more than 200.
For those who are under 25 and are part of the internet TV generation, the experience is novel. They find the user interface of Pluto TV innovative.
ViacomCBS is the current owner of this platform. Tom Ryan, who is CEO and president of the enterprise, says that it is similar to seeing a vinyl resurgence.
It is a concept that many have been familiar with and reminds people of a nostalgic TV watching era. He also feels that not everyone is averse to the concept of ad-filled shows.
He states that the audience is also doing something unthinkable, in this age when subscription services provide video on demand and ad-free. They are often resorting to watching shows on channels such as Pluto TV where there are commercials.
This platform is part of a new genre of video-on-demand services called FAST. It is free and ad-supported television. This trend in streaming services includes Peacock as well as Xumo of Comcast.
Both are known to feature channels similar to Pluto TV. There are other free services that also fall in this category such as Crackle and Tubi.
Pluto TV showcases many cable brands which are part of the portfolio of ViacomCBS. It has helped revive old channels such as Spike TV and many CBS regional networks. One can watch old classic hits such as Star Trek or multiple channels of MTV.
Such library content of the classic channels is hard to find in many on-demand video services. Indeed, to ensure a unique mix of classic and new or modern releases in the different channels, the platform employs professionals from different fields.
There are former journalists who curate opinions and news networks. There are comedians who oversee the different comedy channels. There are anime and gamer fans that plan programs to be listed in such a genre.
Entry restrictions to Pluto TV are minimal as a result, at least in the countries where its service is available.
There is no need for any viewer to sign up. This does limit demographics data collection, executives at the company state that the focus is mainly on building a large base of audiences.
Smart TV brands such as Vizio and Samsung are making use of fast offerings as is found on the Pluto TV platform.
Though Pluto channels might seem to be churned out at random, curators are trying to schedule shows as per popular interests and seasons, for instance, airing episodes on Christmas during the holiday season.
There is a halo effect from other streaming platforms. For instance, when a new version of the old series “Unsolved Mysteries” was launched on Netflix, this saw a surge in people watching the original series.
The initial years of its launch saw Pluto start off with 20 channels or fewer. Today, however, there are 250 and more channels.
These have different focuses such as on reality, movies, comedy, crime, classic TV, news, sports, kids, music, gaming, and others. Many traditional channels are part of the lineup as well. These include Court TV, Sky News, Buzzr, Bloomberg, and others.
Tom Ryan says that the platform has evolved in many ways since its launch several years back. Initially, it was more of digital content in short form. Today it is more of premium news, movies, and TV shows.
The platform has certainly grown since ViacomCBS acquired it in the early part of 2019. Today there are about 12 million inactive users.
By the time 2020 ended Pluto TV was about to reach about 30 million and more in the US and 40 million across the globe. Today its reach is across 24 countries.
Pluto TV is an instance of how a channel-based, laid-back user experience was lacking in the space of free, premium streaming service. It was launched as something which was unique to popular services.
For instance, it was linear when other services were providing video on demand. It has ad-supported programs while other platforms do not. Also, it is free for streaming while others offer subscription-based services.
Hence, at the time when there was a plan for launch, there was considerable resistance. Everyone thought that it was not an idea that would do well. Pluto was essentially a cable service of the next generation. However, it definitely proved to be an underdog story that worked.
With the rise of smart TVs, it has made a possible success of Pluto TV and similar other FAST channels. Connected TV has brought in an incredible tailwind for such business.
The business has been able to get so big and so fast since people have their TVs connected to the internet. Hence, people can watch Pluto TV on the big screen in their living room.
They can watch it every day, for hours, similar to traditional TV. Advertisers are able to cash in on such engagement. It is considered to be a segment in the video business that is growing the fastest. However, it does come with Pluto TV advertising.
Even though ad-supported shows and movies are good for the business, many users would still want the ad-free streaming experience. In the following section, we see how ads can be disabled and how one can watch Pluto TV content without ads.
Even though Pluto TV programs are peppered with ads, there are ways you can prevent ad pop-ups from showing. This is especially possible on the Pluto TV app for Android and iOS devices.
In order to disable ads on Android devices you can do the following:
You might wonder what kind of ads you would find on Pluto TV. These are of different genres since the service appeals to people of all kinds.
Ads are usually of 30 seconds duration which showcases Pluto TV appealing to viewers with different interests. Ads typically feature people either shopping or stuck in traffic; they could even be dog walking and watching their favorite program on Pluto TV.
The ads come at infrequent intervals. The ads are placed such that the same commercial does not repeat more than once in a 30-minute interval.
Of course, there are aberrations where advertisers do run ad campaigns multiple times. However, the management tries to cap the repetition of ads on the platform.
This software can help you download videos from Pluto TV directly. Though the app or the website of Pluto TV allows free viewership, the shows and movies are often interrupted with ads.
For that reason, this software can come of use. One can download and use it in free trial form. If you wish to use all its features then there is a downloader version for Windows.
Features of StreamFab Pluto TV Downloader are the following:
Steps to download using this software are as follows:
This downloader is the perfect choice when you wish to watch content from Pluto TV, free of ad interruptions. The program removes Pluto TV commercials that come in between programs.
Pluto TV is free to watch, and there are tons of movies and shows on the platform that you can stream without paying a single dime of your hard-earned money. However, free things don’t come free, either. You will have to sit through all the ads and commercials, too.
And if you hate all those ads and commercials, then you can opt for the StreamFab Pluto TV Downloader to help you download all your favorite shows and movies offline the platform, so that you can watch them later at any time you want.