Rakuten TV is now offering access to StarzPlay, the streaming service created by U.S. cable TV brand Starz, directly through its platform.
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StarzPlay was launched in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. this week, and Rakuten is offering an initial free trial period to all of its customers. Those who wish to subscribe can then do so for £4.99 a month, Rakuten said. The content will be available via the Rakuten TV app on smart TVs, web and mobile devices, it said.
StarzPlay is packed with a library of familiar titles and past hits, plus new shows such as The Great, which is a comedy drama about the life of Catherine the Great that stars Elle Fanning of Maleficent and Nicholas Hoult, who previously appeared in the X-Men and Tolkien movies.
Stephen King and J.J. Abrams’s psychological horror series Castle Rock is also available on the service, as is the comedy drama Ramy and The Act, which stars Patricia Arquette and Joey King. Other titles include Power Book II: Ghost, starring Oscar-nominee Mary J. Blige, and Jerry Bruckheimer’s Hightown.
The addition of StarzPlay is just the latest expansion for Rakuten TV, which last week added its first ever live streaming channel, Euronews, to its catalogue of content.
Rakuten’s European C0ntent Director Teresa López said StarzPlay would enable the platform to offer a more varied and extensive select of content to its viewers.
“At Rakuten TV we are eager to continue reinforcing our content offer in order to provide the best quality content and a complete experience to our users just one click away,” Lopez said.
For StarzPlay, the deal give it a chance to reach a much broader audience.
“We look forward to deepening our relationship with European viewers hrough Rakuten TV who shares our commitment to providing audiences with premium content paired with a user-friendly experience,” said Superna Kalle, StarzPlay’s executive vice president of International Digital Networks.
