
Pluto TV is owned by Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ: PARA), formed in 2025 when Skydance Media merged with Paramount Global. Pluto TV was acquired in 2019 by ViacomCBS for $340 million. The service offers over 250 free channels and reaches approximately 80 million monthly active users globally. It is the largest free ad-supported streaming television platform in the United States.
Parent Company
Acquired
2019
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Pluto TV | Paramount Skydance Corporation | Wholly owned |
Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin, and Nick Giallourakis founded Pluto TV in 2013 in Los Angeles, California. The founders wanted to create a free, ad-supported streaming service that mimicked traditional cable television. Instead of offering on-demand content like Netflix, Pluto TV provided scheduled programming across virtual channels, allowing viewers to channel-surf in a way that felt like traditional TV.
The platform launched in 2014 with a limited selection of free channels. Pluto TV partnered with content providers to license programming and organized it into themed channels covering news, sports, movies, comedy, and entertainment. The service was initially available through web browsers and mobile apps.
Throughout the mid-2010s, Pluto TV expanded its channel lineup and distribution. The platform added apps for Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and smart TVs. By 2018, Pluto TV had approximately 6 million monthly active users and had raised approximately $51 million in venture funding from investors including USVP, Sky, and Third Rock Ventures.
In March 2019, ViacomCBS (now Paramount Skydance) acquired Pluto TV for $340 million. At the time of the acquisition, Pluto TV had grown to approximately 12 million monthly active users. The acquisition gave ViacomCBS a free streaming platform to complement its paid subscription service. Tom Ryan remained as CEO of Pluto TV after the acquisition and was later promoted to President and CEO of Paramount Global's streaming division.
Under Paramount ownership, Pluto TV expanded rapidly. The service launched in Europe in October 2020, starting with the UK. It subsequently launched in Latin America in 2021 and other international markets. Pluto TV leveraged Paramount's content library to add channels featuring programming from MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, and Paramount Pictures.
By 2023, Pluto TV had grown to approximately 80 million monthly active users globally. The service offered over 250 channels in the United States and additional channels in international markets. Pluto TV's revenue, driven entirely by advertising, reached an estimated $1 billion annually by 2023.
In 2025, the Skydance Media merger with Paramount Global formed Paramount Skydance Corporation. Pluto TV continues to operate as the free streaming tier within the combined company's portfolio, alongside the paid Paramount+ service.
What does Paramount Skydance Corporation own?
Paramount Skydance Corporation owns and operates Paramount Pictures, CBS, Paramount+, Pluto TV, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, Showtime, and Skydance's Animation, Film, Television, Interactive/Games, and Sports divisions. The company also holds extensive content libraries and production facilities. If the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition closes, the portfolio will expand to include HBO, CNN, TNT, Warner Bros. Pictures, and HBO Max.
Is Paramount Skydance Corporation publicly traded?
Yes, Paramount Skydance Corporation is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol PSKY. The company became the successor issuer to Paramount Global on August 7, 2025. As of February 20, 2026, there were 31.5 million Class A shares and 1.08 billion Class B shares outstanding.
Who is the CEO of Paramount Skydance Corporation?
David Ellison is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Skydance Corporation. He founded Skydance Media in 2010 and led the merger with Paramount Global, which closed on August 7, 2025. Ellison is the son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. The Ellison family and RedBird Capital Partners are the primary strategic investors backing the company.
What happened to the Redstone family's control of Paramount?
The Redstone family, which controlled Paramount Global for decades through National Amusements' holdings of super-voting Class B shares, sold its stake as part of the Skydance merger transaction that closed on August 7, 2025. National Amusements no longer holds a controlling position in the company. Shari Redstone received cash for her National Amusements stake.
How many subscribers does Paramount+ have?
Paramount+ ended 2025 with 79 million paid subscribers. In Q4 2025, Paramount+ revenue grew 17% year over year to $1.837 billion, with ARPU increasing 10%. The company plans to exit approximately 4-5 million hard bundle subscribers with unattractive economics in 2026, which will result in only modestly higher total paid subscribers compared to 2025, but with stronger underlying growth and ARPU.
What is the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition?
On February 27, 2026, Paramount announced a definitive agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $31 per share in cash, valuing WBD at $81 billion in equity value and $110 billion in enterprise value. The transaction is backed by $47 billion in equity from the Ellison family and RedBird Capital Partners and $54 billion in debt commitments. The deal is expected to close in Q3 2026, subject to regulatory clearances and WBD shareholder approval. The UK CMA cleared the acquisition on August 6, 2026.
What is Paramount Skydance Corporation's revenue?
For full year 2025, total revenue was approximately $28.9 billion, combining the predecessor period (January 1 to August 6) revenue of $16.6 billion and the successor period (August 7 to December 31) revenue of $12.3 billion. For 2026, the company guides to total revenue of $30 billion, representing approximately 4% year-over-year growth, and adjusted EBITDA of $3.8 billion.
Where is Paramount Skydance Corporation headquartered?
Paramount Skydance Corporation maintains its primary corporate offices in Los Angeles, California, and New York, New York. The company has production facilities and operations in multiple locations including Hollywood, London, and other global entertainment hubs.
As a digital streaming service, Pluto TV's environmental impact is primarily related to data center operations and content delivery network energy consumption. Paramount Skydance has stated commitments to sustainability, but the company does not publish detailed environmental reports specific to Pluto TV. These claims have not been independently verified by third-party certification bodies.
Pluto TV's more significant ethical considerations relate to content standards and advertising practices. The platform provides parental controls and content rating systems. As an ad-supported service, Pluto TV collects user data for advertising targeting, which raises privacy concerns. The platform is subject to GDPR in Europe, CCPA in California, and other privacy regulations.
Pluto TV provides free access to entertainment content, which supports digital inclusion by making streaming content available to viewers regardless of their ability to pay subscription fees. The service offers closed captioning and accessibility features across most content, complying with FCC accessibility requirements.
Pluto TV has received recognition within the streaming industry for pioneering the FAST model. The service has been featured in Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies" lists and has been recognized by streaming industry publications for its channel programming strategy.
Pluto TV has been recognized as a leader in the FAST market by industry analysts including Nielsen and Comscore. The platform's growth from 6 million monthly active users in 2018 to approximately 80 million by 2023 has been cited as evidence of the FAST model's viability.
The platform's user interface, which mimics a traditional cable TV guide, has received positive recognition from technology reviewers for making streaming content accessible to viewers accustomed to linear television. The interface design has been noted as a differentiator from on-demand streaming services.
Pluto TV has maintained a relatively clean operational record with no major service recalls. However, the platform has faced challenges typical of the streaming industry.
Pluto TV has experienced occasional content licensing disputes with content providers. These disputes have sometimes resulted in temporary removal of specific channels or content. Such issues are typically resolved through negotiations without significant service interruptions.
As an ad-supported service, Pluto TV collects user data for advertising targeting. Consumer advocacy groups have raised privacy concerns about data practices in the FAST industry. Pluto TV maintains compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations, but privacy advocates continue to monitor data practices in the streaming industry.
Pluto TV operates in an intensely competitive market. Competitors including Tubi, The Roku Channel, and Amazon Freevee compete for the same audience and advertising revenue. This competition creates ongoing challenges for content acquisition, user growth, and advertising revenue generation.
The platform has experienced occasional technical outages and service disruptions, particularly during peak usage periods. Paramount Skydance has invested in infrastructure improvements to enhance service reliability.
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Corporation | USA | 2014 | Mass market | United states | All Genders | |
| Paramount Global | USA | 2019 | Mass market | United states | All-ages | |
| Amazon | United States | 2009 | Mass market | United states | All Genders | |
| Starz Entertainment | United States | 1994 | Premium | United states | All Genders | |
| Paramount Global | USA | 1980 | Mass market | United states | All-ages | |
| Paramount Global | USA | 1979 | Mass market | Global | All-ages |
Media EntertainmentOwned by Fox Corporation
Free ad-supported streaming television service offering movies, TV shows, and original content, owned by Fox Corporation.
Media EntertainmentOwned by Paramount Skydance Corporation
Premium streaming service offering exclusive original series, movies, and specials from BET's content library, focusing on African American entertainment and culture.
Media EntertainmentOwned by Amazon.com Inc.
Premium linear channel and streaming service from Amazon MGM Studios, offering original series, recent films, and classic MGM library content. Rebranded from Epix in January 2023.
Media EntertainmentOwned by STARZ Entertainment Corp.
Premium cable network and streaming service targeting women and underrepresented audiences. Independent publicly traded company since May 2025. Trades on Nasdaq under STRZ.
Media EntertainmentOwned by Paramount Skydance Corporation
American cable television network focused on African American culture, entertainment, music, and programming for Black audiences.
Media EntertainmentOwned by Paramount Skydance Corporation
American cable television network and children's entertainment brand owned by Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ: PSKY). Launched in 1979, known for SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, and the Kids' Choice Awards.
Market Positioning: Pluto TV competes with 6 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by Paramount Skydance Corporation, giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.
Media EntertainmentOwned by ByteDance Ltd.
ByteDance's AI-powered Chinese news and content aggregation platform, founded in 2012 as the company's first product, with over 600 million registered users and 150 million daily active users.
Jinri Toutiao is privately owned, unlike Pluto TV which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Media EntertainmentOwned by SYBO Games
Endless runner mobile game where players dodge trains and obstacles while collecting coins and power-ups in various world cities. The most downloaded mobile game of all time with over 4 billion downloads.
Subway Surfers is privately owned, unlike Pluto TV which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Media EntertainmentOwned by Discovery Zone, Inc.
American indoor entertainment center chain featuring arcade games, climbing walls, and family attractions.
Discovery Zone is privately owned, unlike Pluto TV which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Media EntertainmentOwned by Automattic Inc.
Social media and blogging platform owned by Automattic, allowing users to create and share content across multiple formats. Hosts over 500 million blogs with approximately 135 million monthly active users as of 2025.
Tumblr is privately owned, unlike Pluto TV which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Media EntertainmentOwned by InnerSloth
Multiplayer social deduction game developed by InnerSloth, released in 2018, in which players work together to complete tasks while identifying impostors.
Among Us is privately owned, unlike Pluto TV which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Media EntertainmentOwned by Spark Networks
Faith-based online dating platform founded in 2001, owned by Spark Networks Services GmbH. The platform serves Christian singles seeking relationships grounded in shared religious values.
Christian Mingle is privately owned, unlike Pluto TV which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Discover popular brands and companies in the Media & Entertainment category and related searches from other users.

Influential British independent record label founded in 1979, known for a distinctive visual aesthetic and a roster spanning Cocteau Twins, Pixies, The National, and Grimes.

Major American broadcast television network with a rich history in news, entertainment, and sports programming, serving as a cornerstone of Disney Entertainment Television within The Walt Disney Company.

Video-game publishing identity owned by Microsoft since its $68.7 billion acquisition closed in October 2023.