The NFL has partnered with free ad-supported streaming service Pluto TV to launch the NFL Channel. Unlike NFL Network, which is available on Live TV Streaming Services, which airs live games, news, and highlights — the NFL Channel will focus on classic games, countdown shows, and season recaps.
The NFL says the channel is “celebrating the NFL’s iconic and classic moments spanning over a decade of past seasons.” Included in that will be past seasons of the HBO show, Hard Knocks.
Pluto TV, the free ad-supported streaming service they acquired in January, is now being using by 18 million users every month, up 50% on the year. This boost is from the 16 million they announced in May, and 12 million active users when they acquired the company for $340 million in January.
Part of the growth comes from the addition of new content-specific networks on the service. In May, the free ad-supported streaming service, launched 14 linear channels with classic content from Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon.
In July, Pluto TV announced the launch of Pluto TV Latino, a new category on the platform featuring 11 linear Spanish and Portuguese-language channels. While the service first debuted in the U.S., it is expected to be expand to Latin America in 2020. Pluto TV is already available internationally in UK, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, but the company has major international expansion plans.