AST SpaceMobile (AST), a would-be supplier of direct-to-consumer cellular telephony from space, has told the FCC that it will have 243 of its BlueBird satellites in orbit by the end of 2028. The schedule will see 100 working in orbit by the end of next year, then 72 additional craft each year until 2028. AST […]

AST SpaceMobile (AST) activated one of its first BlueBird satellites over Japan in order to make a video call with staff from cellular telco Rakuten, its partner operator in Japan. Abel Avellan, CEO at AST, commented: “Another historic first! We completed our initial activation of our first BlueBird satellites in Japan with Rakuten Mobile to […]

Virgin Media O2 has launched two new FAST channels from Rakuten, providing Virgin TV customers with the opportunity to watch an array of new content at no extra cost. Available to Virgin TV customers directly via their set-top box, the new channels – Rakuten TV Top Movies (channel 446) and Rakuten TV Action ( channel […]

At Mobile World Congress, Rakuten TV, the European streaming platform, has announced that it is positioning itself as a key enabler for telcos looking to expand their content offering in the growing FAST market. Through Rakuten TV Enterprise Services, the company provides solutions for the launch, distribution and monetisation of FAST channels. After three years […]

Mega Movie Weekend has returned, running from February 21st to 23rd, with a range titles available at promotional prices to help audiences build their digital libraries. The campaign runs across key retailers, including Prime Video, Sky Store, the Apple TV app, Rakuten TV, Virgin Media and EE TV Store, with prices starting at £2.99. Films […]

In honour of World Cancer Day on February 4th, Rakuten TV, the European streaming platforms, will release the Goya-nominated documentary Daida: Back to the Ocean, available for free in UK, Spain, France, Italy and Germany as part of their Rakuten TV Originals.  The film tells the extraordinary journey of Daida Ruano, an 18-time world windsurfing […]

Rakuten TV, the European streaming platforms, will premiere Transvulcania: The People’s Run, a new feature documentary that will be part of the Rakuten TV Originals collection, on November 12th. Produced by NSN and directed by Marc Barceló, this documentary about one of the world’s most iconic trail running events will be available for free and […]

Rakuten TV, the European streaming platform, has announced its new business line, Rakuten TV Enterprise Services, at MIPCOM. The announcement was made by Rakuten TV’s CEO and President Cédric Dufour during the Global Streamers Talks in a conversation with industry expert Evan Shapiro and Maxime Carboni, Chief Business Officer at Euronews, one of the first […]

Rakuten TV, the European streaming platforms, has expanded its catalogue with the launch of two new seasonal FAST channels: 100% Christmas and Halloween. With more than 100 hours of content, the channels are dedicated to providing non-stop free entertainment during two of the most celebrated times of the year. The Halloween channel is available from […]

CNN en Español has launched a 24-hour streaming channel in Spain, now available on Rakuten TV and closely followed by Samsung TV Plus on October 16th, and LG Channels later this month. CNN en Español’s multi-platform experience includes CNNEspanol.com, CNN en Español Radio, CNN Español, YouTube and active engagement on X, Facebook, Threads, WhatsApp and […]