Gusto TV’s Global Ambitions

As Gusto TV continues the push to bring its robust offering of cookery content to audiences around the world, its most recent deal delivers the channel to viewers in Brazil, Turkey, New Zealand and Australia via the German-based streaming platform rlaxx TV, through which its already available in the U.K., Germany, Spain and France. To date, Gusto TV can be viewed across 160 countries on 31 different platforms, in English, Spanish and Mandarin.

“Gusto has been establishing a foothold in international markets like Asia and Europe, so we are looking to continue dipping our toes into new markets,” says Chris Knight, CEO and president of Gusto Worldwide Media. “Growth markets for us continue to be India and Latin America, and we’ve just dipped our toes into Africa with AVO TV. We’re looking forward to it. The challenge is making new friends in those markets, when up until recently [due to Covid-19], you couldn’t get on an airplane.”

Amid shifts in the international TV media industry that include global consolidation, Gusto TV has found opportunities to evolve the business, which first launched in Canada back in 2013 as a linear pay-TV channel for satellite and cable. “There has been tremendous growth in new technologies that has allowed us to bring Gusto as a channel to new markets,” says Knight. “We now have multiple feeds in multiple languages going all over the world, from what amounts to a well-ventilated broom closet with a big rack of expensive computers.”

“This technology didn’t exist six years ago,” notes Knight. “It continues to evolve and change, and it’s a very exciting time to be in the business. We’re all in on OTT and CTV, FAST channels. We’re in a really cozy place because we own and create all the content ourselves. It allows us to be nimble and react to different market strategies.”

Among the titles stacking Gusto TV’s lineup is One Big Recipe, which shows audiences how to pull off a four-course dinner in an afternoon. CombiNation Plates takes two classic culinary dishes from two different cultures to create a unique dish. There’s also DNA Dinners, in which 16 people learn about their roots through DNA analysis and celebrate them through food.

All of the programming available on Gusto TV is created in-house by the company, which “allows us to control the quality of programming, control the brand,” says Knight. “It also is a more cost-effective way of making programming, which allows us to make more of it. We’re not paying for somebody else’s overhead and somebody else’s product development. It’s all our own. The content is proprietary.”

As Knight points out, those who want to watch Gusto TV content are compelled to come to Gusto. Also advantageous for the company is that it’s been able to grow without relying on third parties. “Trying to get international or global rights to a program from a third-party distributor can be cost-prohibitive,” notes Knight. “Like when you want the rights for the entire world, that can be challenging.”

The content at the heart of Gusto TV as it expands its global reach celebrates international cuisines and is hosted by food enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds. “Gusto TV is and always has been a place where all cultures can come together to celebrate culinary traditions and differences,” says Knight. “Food is the one true universal language, and Gusto speaks all dialects. From Sri Lankan to Greek, Vietnamese to Kenyan, our catalog features over 40 different cultures and cuisines. As this is the core of Gusto, we will continue to produce food content that celebrates diversity.”