Barbie & Friends and Pingu channels officially launched across key European markets

Rakuten TV has announced an expanded partnership with Mattel, Inc, marking the official launch of two new FAST channels across Europe.

The new channels are:

• Barbie & Friends: A curated FAST channel anchored by the iconic Barbie brand and expanded with beloved Mattel franchises including Monster High    Enchantimals and Polly Pocket. Celebrating friendship, creativity and self-expression, the channel is designed to captivate family audiences of all ages. Barbie & Friends is now available in Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK and Ireland.
• Pingu: A dedicated channel for Pingu, everyone’s favourite penguin and one of animation’s most enduring characters. Featuring the complete Pingu series in a continuous, dialogue-free stream that transcends language and borders, Pingu is available in Portugal, France, Spain, Italy and Germany.

This expansion deepens a partnership first announced last year, which brought Mattel’s iconic brands to Rakuten TV’s Family FAST channel and AVOD library across Europe. With today’s announcement, Rakuten TV takes that collaboration to a new level, with the development and distribution of two new FAST channels based on two of the most iconic names in family entertainment.

“The expansion of our partnership with Mattel marks a pivotal moment for Rakuten TV’s FAST strategy in Europe, says Marcos Milanez, chief content officer at Rakuten TV. “Taking responsibility for the programming and distribution of the channels for these beloved brands is not only a milestone in terms of content, but also a clear signal of the direction premium free-to-air streaming is taking. We’re not just adding channels: we’re building a scalable, audience-centric model that sets a new benchmark for FAST in Europe.”

This launch reinforces Rakuten TV’s position as a leading AVOD and FAST platform in Europe, combining proprietary channel development with a growing portfolio of high-recognition family brands. Rakuten TV will operate these two new fast channels to engage audiences directly on-platform and to serve as a compelling content offering for third-party distribution partners seeking premium, brand-safe family entertainment.