Rakuten TV, which claims to be Europe’s first over-the-top video platform combining transactional VOD, SVOD, AVOD and free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) content, Sept. 23 announced the launch of new documentary Seve, chronicling the life of late Spanish PGA golfer Severiano Ballesteros, who died in 2011. The doc will be available for free exclusively on Rakuten TV beginning Sept. 24.
Barcelona-based Rakuten TV is owned by e-commerce giant Rakuten, which claims to have 12 million members in the U.S.
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From humble beginnings learning golf on the beaches of Cantabria, to becoming one of the most decorated and celebrated players on the PGA, Ballesteros’ life on and off the links is explored in the 90-minute doc, with testimonials from his family and fellow PGA golfers, including José María Olazábal, Colin Montgomerie, Gary Player, Bernard Langer and Nick Faldo.
Seve is the latest addition to the Rakuten Stories collection — available on-demand and as a linear channel — featuring original and exclusive content. The doc will migrate to the Rakuten Stories channel on Sept. 30.
Sports offering on Rakuten TV, which the platform says drives 25% more repeat viewers compared to other content categories — expands opportunities for advertisers to meaningfully connect with highly engaged audiences.
The Rakuten Stories channel includes numerous sports-themed docs, including Andrés Iniesta: The Unexpected Hero; BVB 09: Stories Who We Are; Break Point: A Davis Cup Story; Ride Your Dream; The Secrets of La Roja; The Australian Dream; Inside Killian Jornet; Sadio Mané: Made in Senegal; Serge Ibaka: Anything is Possible; The Giants; and the upcoming Ona Carbonell: Starting Over and Champions.