Pluto TV CEO Praises MST3K; MST3K Channel Is Popular

[jasoncinema]

It’s nice to see the show being embraced by Tom Ryan, co-founder and CEO of Pluto TV, as well as all things cult television! And like I’ve said, I love the inherent irony in the show airing on a service that is now owned by ViacomCBS (parent company of Comedy Central).

www.adexchanger.com/tv-and-video/coronavirus-is-accelerating-pluto-tvs-already-massive-growth/

What are some of the most esoteric channels that see a lot of engagement on Pluto?

Mystery Science Theater 3000 performs really well, as does cult programming in general. And then there’s “slow TV,” which is a genre that shows mundane events in their entirety, like a train slowly moving through the Norwegian hinterlands. It’s not our highest-engagement channel, but we have fanatics who love it. The James Bond channel isn’t esoteric, but it’s blown away all the engagement records in the history of Pluto TV.
One thing I always challenge the team with here is to do as Portland tries to do: How can we keep Pluto TV weird? Our viewers appreciate that we’re not afraid to spin up a channel that’s quirky or downright strange alongside channels that feel very much like traditional TV. We need to keep doing that and stay close to our roots, even as we get bigger and become more of a mainstream TV service.

[timmy]

i hope this is a good sign of things to come (maybe a new home for new episodes).

[christmas]

I was about to nay say that statement because traditionally pluto.tv channels are almost entirely rerun-based, but I actually remembered that there is some kind of comedy programming that IS being made to debut on some pluto.tv channel (I can't recall what it is, though). I mean, I still wouldn't expect it, but never say never!

[kmorgan]

Nice to have a network exec who likes the show. Let's hope he's not replaced by someone who vows to "kill that @#$%^&@ puppet show".

[angilasman]

I recently downloaded the Pluto TV app on my Smart TV to watch Shout Factory's new channel dedicated to Japanese superheroes, but in the last couple of weeks I find myself just leaving it on mst3k Channel! It's always great to have on in the background, and I enjoy the new bumpers made with the tour cast.

They do tend to rerun the same shorts over and over again as filler between the episodes, so I feel I've seen "What to do on a Date" like 20 times in oh so many weeks.