Pluto.TV has struck a chord with fashionistas.
The L.A.-based video streaming startup launched a dedicated New York Fashion Week channel last Thursday. It offers users a front row seat on the runway and a backstage pass to the VIP parties -- all without stepping foot in New York City, or even changing browsers.
And viewers are loving it. They're watching the channel three times as long as the average Pluto.TV channel, according to CEO and co-founder Tom Ryan.
Pluto.TV, which launched in March, takes a TV Guide-style approach to online video. Like their TV counterparts, they've capitalized on covering what's hot at the moment.
"Similar to traditional television, Pluto.TV channels based on current events are striking a particularly strong chord with viewers," said Ryan. "We're definitely not surprised with the reaction."
The Fashion Week station (channel 600) is just the latest on Pluto.TV. They currently have over 100 dedicated channels, offering everything from breaking news to sports to viral videos. Their curators (a mix of humans and data) pull online content from sites like YouTube, Vimeo and Dailymotion. They also have dedicated channels for content partners like Funny or Die, QVC and PopSugar.
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Pluto.TV's NYFW channel features runway shows from designers who stream their shows online (like Burberry, Chanel and Christian Dior) as well as curated pieces from partners like Refinery29.
"Our goal is to make it really easy and enjoyable for lovers of fashion to quickly tune in and get timely updates," said Ryan.
Fashionistas can watch online (on a browser or mobile app) or on connected devices like Amazon's (AMZN) Fire TV or Google's (GOOG) Chromecast. The channel will run through October 1, when fashion weeks around the world end.
Plus, a DVR-like function lets you pause, fast-forward or save shows for later.
This isn't the first time the company has launched a custom channel: Past ones have been both planned (World Cup, Wimbledon) and unplanned when there's breaking news (Robin Williams' death).
Ryan declined to disclose users or profitability, but said the company is generating revenue from advertising. (That could change in the future if the content partnerships were monetized, which they aren't currently.)
