Expanding its interest in the world of streaming video, Sky has invested $500,000 in Pluto.TV, a Los Angeles-based online video platform that aggregates video into more than 100 thematic “channels.”
Pluto.TV, which assembles those channels using a mix of data and a team of “specialist editors,” offers content in general areas such as music, news, sports, comedy, entertainment and more specific, niche genres such as hip-hop, surfing, video gaming, art and fashion.
Pluto.TV, currently offered in the U.S., supports apps on iOS- and Android-powered mobile devices, the Google Chromecast, Amazon Kindle Fire and Fire TV, and on Web browsers.
Sky said the investment and business relationship will provide the U.K.-based service provider with insight into content consumption trends and how people are finding and watching TV. Sky, which says its content reaches more than 30 million people, noted that it opened up a dedicated office in San Francisco earlier this year to help it continue to forge new partnerships with tech startups.
“This partnership enables Sky to draw on the ground-breaking work Pluto.TV are doing to help viewers discover and enjoy the best of online TV through an intuitive and editorially rich TV platform. As we learn about new trends in the way people watch TV, we look forward to sharing our own expertise in content creation, packaging and promotion,” Emma Lloyd, director, corporate business development at Sky, said in a statement.
“We look forward to collaborating broadly with Sky to rapidly grow and deliver our online video platform globally across web, mobile and connected TVs,” added Tom Ryan, Pluto.TV’s CEO.
Sky recently invested another $700,000 in Roku, the streaming media player and apps platform company, a follow-on to Sky’s earlier $12.2 million investments in Roku. Sky has also invested in Jaunt, a virtual reality camera and content firm, and in 1 Mainstream, an online video delivery startup.
