Rakuten TV has announced its international expansion of FAST services for enterprise customers, with the progressive launch of its offering in new strategic markets: the United States, the Middle East, and Japan (Rakuten TV Europe is a separate entity from Rakuten TV in Japan). The international expansion marks the first time the Barcelona-based Rakuten TV has extended its footprint beyond Europe, via its TV Enterprise division, as the company has claimed in a statement.

The announcement was made by Rakuten TV CEO Cédric Dufour during his panel ‘FAST Beyond Borders: Rakuten TV on What It Takes to Scale Into New Global Markets’ at MIPCOM’s Innovation Lab.

The growth into new international territories comes two years after Rakuten TV unveiled ‘Rakuten TV Enterprise’ at MIPCOM 2024, marking the next phase in the growth of a service created with the intention of helping content owners, distributors and other industry partners launch, manage and monetise FAST channels and content-focused video applications.

Additionally, Rakuten TV has continued to produce and exclusively distribute high quality owned & operated (‘O&O’) FAST channels, sourcing content from Hollywood studios and local broadcasters and rightsholders. This has resulted in more than 120 O&O channels across Europe,.

Cédric Dufour, CEO and President, Rakuten TV, notes: “Expanding Rakuten TV into the US, Middle East and Japan through our enterprise offerings marks a significant new chapter for the business, as we bring our streaming expertise, technology and infrastructure to new markets around the world. FAST is a fast-moving market, and over the last two years Rakuten TV Enterprise has grown significantly since we launched it with the vision of helping content and entertainment companies bring their FAST and streaming propositions to market and scale them internationally. That growth has been instrumental in enabling this next phase of international expansion, building on our experience in Europe and strengthening our ability to support partners across the streaming ecosystem. As we extend our international footprint, we are opening up new opportunities for Rakuten TV and our partners alike”.

The expansion includes the launch of two Rakuten TV Enterprise services in three new markets: the licensing of channels in the United States and the Middle East, and technical integration in Japan.

United States

The company affirms that the United States represents the most developed and competitive FAST market in the world with a growing volume of channels spanning a broad range of content for viewers. Against this backdrop, Rakuten TV looks forward to expanding its presence with the launch of some of its exclusive O&O FAST channels, including Rakuten TV Comedy and Rakuten TV Action.

Bringing together Hollywood productions and European titles, the premium movie channels offering is designed to try to complement the existing FAST landscape, with a content mix that avoids overlap with other channels available in the market. The channels are now available on TCLtv+ app, with further platform launches to follow, extending Rakuten TV’s reach and bringing its curated FAST offering to new audiences.

Dufour explains: “As the US is a much more mature FAST market, the sheer volume of channels already available means it is important to offer audiences something distinctive. We have taken a highly considered approach to developing our movie channels, analysing existing channel catalogues to identify opportunities and ensure there is no title overlap. The result is a differentiated mix of Hollywood productions and European titles that complements the existing offer while bringing something new to viewers”.

Middle East

Having identified a specific opportunity within the Middle East’s FAST ecosystem – the availability of Western cinema channels – Rakuten TV is preparing the launch of two FAST channels in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

By the end of this year, Rakuten TV Top Movies and Rakuten TV Action will be available through TCLtv+ and TCL Channel in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and on LG Channels in the United Arab Emirates, featuring English-language content with subtitles adapted to the local market. In addition, it is also exploring launching multiple genre channels or single-IP series, relevant to the Middle Eastern market.

Dufour adds: “As the Middle East experiences a growth surge in FAST channels, we have applied our experience as one of the pioneers in developing FAST movie channels in Europe to create an editorial proposition tailored to local audiences. By combining our understanding of the market with carefully selected content and major cinematic productions, we are able to offer a differentiated channel proposition that complements the existing FAST landscape and brings new viewing opportunities to audiences in the Middle East”.

Japan

As part of Rakuten TV’s international expansion, Japan represents a strategic step and an example of how Rakuten TV Enterprise is evolving beyond content distribution.

Rakuten TV Enterprise, offered by Rakuten TV in Europe, has been selected by Rakuten Group, the Japan-based global technology company that owns Rakuten TV, as the technical integrator to deliver FAST channels to its FAST platform ‘R Channels’ in Japan.

Dufour continues: “Our experience in Europe has demonstrated that Rakuten TV Enterprise can operate as a trusted technical partner at scale, managing the technology, infrastructure and FAST expertise required to bring complex channel environments to life. We are now taking that proven capability to international partners, providing the technical foundations they need to launch and scale FAST services in new markets. This gives partners greater access to our expertise while giving us a scalable model to support further international growth”.

Rakuten TV Enterprise

The expansion announced at MIPCOM 2026 marks a new chapter for Rakuten TV Enterprise. Through Enterprise, the copany aims to strengthen its role as a strategic partner for content owners, telecommunications operators and TV manufacturers as they develop and roll out their FAST strategies.

The company will focus on continuing to drive the growth of the Rakuten TV app and its O&O FAST channels across multiple platforms and markets, while expanding its Enterprise offering and exploring new opportunities to collaborate with partners across the streaming ecosystem.

Dufour concludes: “This expansion represents only the beginning of what we can achieve with Rakuten TV Enterprise. Our experience gives us a strong foundation to help partners navigate the fast-moving streaming landscape and unlock new opportunities in FAST. As we enter more markets, our focus will be on combining that expertise together with a deep understanding of local audiences to build propositions that deliver real value for our partners”.