Even when Vevo had its own on-demand music-videos website and apps, it was exploring the potential for linear (i.e. traditional-TV style) viewing. Now it’s doing that again, via a partnership with video-streaming service Pluto TV. Vevo will be launching 10 ad-supported, linear channels on Pluto TV, starting with ‘Vevo Pop’ on 12 November.
Vevo is describing this as a “linear-programmed lean-back music video experience”, with its president of sales and distribution Kevin McGurn telling Variety that “bringing music videos into the home alongside other linear and on-demand programming ensures that music videos are available to audiences on devices and platforms that are already integrated with their day-to-day lives”. It’s part of Vevo’s wider strategy to distribute its videos catalogue to services and devices for televisions – something the company says already generates 30m monthly views.
Pluto TV has some big backing, too: earlier this year it was acquired by media giant Viacom for $340m, at a time when it was attracting more than 12 million monthly users. So yes, that means Vevo’s new linear music-video channels are appearing on a platform that’s a sister company to… MTV!
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