Samsung TV Plus Australia adds major new channels

Samsung TV Plus has expanded its free streaming TV service in Australia with new content partnerships across BBC Studios, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios.

The rollout takes the platform to 200 channels this month, as Samsung TV Plus reports a 40 per cent year-on-year lift in monthly active users in Australia.

The new partnerships add BBC News and a suite of BBC Studios channels, including BBC Food, BBC Home & Garden and BBC Travel. Samsung TV Plus has also added channels built around 30 Rock and Law & Order from NBCUniversal, the Stargate franchise from Amazon MGM Studios, and four Sony Pictures Television channels.

What channels are launching on Samsung TV Plus?

The Sony Pictures Television additions include Sony One Action Hits, Sony One Comedy Hits, Sony One FAVES and Dragons’ Den.

Samsung TV Plus has also expanded its owned-and-operated channel line-up with the launch of GRIT TV. The new channel will feature action and adventure programming, including documentaries from Ross Kemp.

According to Samsung, the broader content expansion has contributed to a 70 per cent year-on-year increase in viewing time in Australia.

Sam Hall, Head of Content Acquisition and Business Development, Samsung TV Plus, ANZ and South East Asia, said the growth reflected changing viewing habits in Australian homes.

“More than a third of Australians who buy a new Samsung TV choose not to connect an antenna,” Hall said.

“Free streaming TV is where the viewers are heading in droves. Studios are finding entirely new ways to connect directly with viewers in their living rooms, at a scale that continues to grow.”

Samsung Ads’ connected TV play

The announcement comes as Samsung Ads continues to position its smart TV advertising products around connected audience data across linear, streaming and gaming.

Samsung Ads, which launched in the US in 2015, now operates across North and Latin America, Europe, South Korea, ANZ, Southeast Asia, and India. The business is a division of Samsung Electronics.

Top image: Samsung TV Plus

Keep on top of the most important media, marketing, and agency news each day with the Mediaweek Morning Report – delivered for free every morning to your inbox.