Rakuten TV expands Mattel partnership to roll out Barbie and Pingu FAST channels

The Rakuten and Mattel link-up was announced last year

European VoD service Rakuten TV has expanded its partnership with toy manufacturer Mattel to launch two new family-friendly FAST channels.

Barbie & Friends features content based around the famous fashion doll and other Mattel brands such as Monster High, Enchantimals and Polly Pocket. The network is available in Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, UK and Ireland.

Pingu, meanwhile, is themed around the stop-motion series starring a mischievous penguin. It can be streamed in Portugal, France, Spain, Italy and Germany.

The collaboration between Rakuten and Mattel was first announced last year, with the Barcelona-based platform bringing Mattel kids’ brands to its portfolio of FAST and AVoD services.

Marcos Milanez, chief content officer at Rakuten TV, said: “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.”