Richard Farmbrough, former CEO of Reef Television, is launching content aggregator app, Must TV, while appointing board advisors and entering into further fundraising.
Must Ltd beta site Must TV at https://must.app aims to help consumers find TV shows amidst the rise of multiple SVODs and catch-up services.
Must TV highlights the best new TV by aggregating critics’ reviews of shows whilst building a comprehensive library of the content available across all streaming platforms. The site enables users to click straight through to shows, build watchlists and share views on socials. The company plans additional features to allow users to create viewer groups, post their own reviews and scores as well as access highly personalised recommendations based on the company’s anticipated move into AI.
The launch follows a successful fundraise in the summer 2020 lockdown from five angel investors who have backed the Must mission to curate TV content for time-strapped viewers. Must Ltd will be seeking further EIS-backed funding in summer 2021 to fund new features, territorial expansion, and an ambitious move into additional verticals, curating consumer choices in podcasts, books, games and arts.
Must has also appointed the following as board advisors: Claire Hungate, former CEO of Brave Bison and Warner Bros UK; Charlie Ponsonby CEO of Plandek and founder of Simplifydigital; and Pippa Glucklich, former CEO of Publicis agency Starcom and Dentsu’s Amplifi UK.
Richard Farmbrough, CEO of Must Ltd, says: “As linear programming comes to its final days, there is a huge digital-shaped gap in the market to help viewers navigate the growing number of streaming services now on offer. Must TV is the essential guide to all content in a catch-up world where the channel scheduler is no longer king.”
Pippa Glucklich, Board Advisor to Must Ltd, says: “Must TV is a simple and genius solution to a 21st century problem. As the sheer amount of content available for us to choose from becomes overwhelming, Must TV helps us navigate it all in a fast, entertaining and human way. It’s a business I’m thrilled to be working with.”
Claire Hungate, Board Advisor to Must Ltd, says: “Developments in technology have enabled global audiences to discover and consume content in new ways; we are now drowning in content and platform choice. It will be fascinating to see whether content wins the battle for eyeballs or whether distribution is more powerful. One thing is for sure; aggregation will be next and Must TV is a first step in helping us navigate and uncover the content most interesting and relevant to us as individual viewers; without such a tool, viewers will begin to make choices based solely on marketing and distribution and certain platforms will fail accordingly.”
Charlie Ponsonby, Board Advisor to Must Ltd, says: “I am delighted to be involved at Must TV. It offers viewers a new and exciting approach to help navigate through the myriad of viewing choice.”
Jon Creamer
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