Samsung TV Plus, the free FAST platform operated by the leading smart-TV maker, is breaking ground in the sports arena as part of a broader programming push.
At a standing-room-only NewFronts presentation to advertisers in New York on Tuesday, the company said it would provide live streams of the games of American Hockey League team the Ontario Reign, an affiliate of the NHL’s LA Kings. Other new sports offerings include a Major League Baseball channel featuring game replays, recaps and other exclusives; and new channels dedicated to the PGA Tour channel, MMA’s ONEChampionship and Formula 1.
Michael Scott, VP, Head of Ad Sales and Operations at Samsung Ads, called Samsung TV Plus “America’s first choice for television.” The platform, he added, is “at the forefront of streaming, removing barriers to both FAST and gaming … and making them accessible to all.”
In addition to sports, the company announced news, family and music programming. It unveiled an exclusive partnership with Warner Music, which will augment the nearly 500 existing national and local channels already on Samsung TV Plus, which is at the high end of the range offered by any provider.
The tech company also made a non-TV announcement at the event, saying that ads would start being integrated onto Samsung News, a mobile offering that comes pre-loaded on Galaxy devices.
Gaming is also an area of focus as Samsung looks to engage consumers without the usual trappings of a video game system. The company will roll out two games later this year, neither of which requires a controller. Rivals Arena is described as a “cinematic card game,” with advertiser QR codes integrated into the action. The Six is a trivia game built into a Samsung connected device.
