Discovery: The platform Discovery+ allows us to experiment more without losing our identity

Pluto TV and Discovery+ were the two global streaming services presented in the keynote series Global Streamers at Mipcom on Monday.

Olivier Jollet, Senior VP and general manager of Pluto TV from ViacomCBS Networks International and Myriam López-Otazu, global VP of Content, Sourcing, and Acquisitions for EMEA and APAC, spoke with Marjorie Paillon, presenter and founder of I Love Productions.

Jollet from Pluto TV mentioned they are already in 25 countries and on October 28 they will launch in Italy. He explained they are a free service in the age of subscription services, supported on advertising in the age of ad-free, and linear in the age of on-demand

“It is a new TV, via streaming. The beauty of being digital is that you can create a very good experience for the audience. It feels and looks like TV, but the experience is different” detailed Jollet.

He added that they created an alliance with BBC Studios in which they are launching a Doctor Who channel and the BBC Drama channel, with shows such as Musketeer. “There are more than 400 content partners that trust in Pluto TV” he furthered.

He also mentioned that it is important to have a local flavor. “We have experts in each country to curate local content. Our ambition is to always launch the appropriate channel for each country” he said.

López-Otazu from Discovery highlighted that Discovery+ is already in 14 countries and has 50 thousand hours of content. “Local content complements the global one we have. The platform allows us to experiment more without losing our identity and condition of premium service” she said and recalled that the brand has 80% of global recognition.

“We feel the ecosystem allows us to build something bigger and be part of the conversation. With Discovery+ we can conduct global events. This month we have Ghostober and are launching 50 new hours. Generation Z has a great deal of connection with the paranormal and terror” she said.

We work organically: centrally oriented and locally based. The local teams are the ones that are constantly looking for local content, then we decide which window it goes out on first and supplement them with acquisitions. Acquisitions play a great role in our strategy. Formats are a good focus for us” she commented. She explained that they are seeking unique and distinctive content that is diverse and generates conversations.