Rakuten TV: How to watch free content through your Linux PC

Rakuten TV logo

Content platforms by streaming, IPTV and OTT they are growing more and more in terms of the number of users. Many people are tired of always seeing the same content on DTT channels, which, despite being numerous, do not always offer content to everyone's taste. What's more, sometimes they seem to agree not to offer anything interesting at all. For this reason, platforms such as Rakuten TV, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, FlixOlé, Pluto TV, Filmin, HBO, Disney +, Applet TV Plus, etc., do not stop growing.

Here we are going to show you everything you need to know about a Spanish platform, and if it can be used on your Linux PC, in addition to seeing how you can take advantage of one of its latest functions, that of offering free channels to expand the content you have at your fingertips ...

What is Rakuten TV?

Rakuten TV app

Rakuten TV It is a Japanese company, but it has its origin in Spain and is based in Barcelona. A service that provides a large catalog with thousands of titles of series, movies, documentaries and sports streaming to its subscribed users (although it also has free content as I will explain).

It was founded in 2007 by Jacinto Roca and Josep Mitjà, with the original name of Wuaki.tv, and in 2012 it would become part of the Japanese company Rakuten, and renamed Rakuten TV. Currently, it is linked to FC Barcelona and has established itself in this country as one of the largest online commerce pages, rivaling Amazon.

Currently, this service is available in 42 countries, mostly from the European Union, in addition to being translated into several languages. And it is an interesting alternative to other platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc. Since these platforms do not usually offer the same titles, so it may be interesting to choose one or the other (or several) to get the content that best suits your tastes.

Rakuten TV is currently shutting down the Top 5 content platforms with more subscribers in Spain, with just over 150 million users, which is just over 2% of the market.

If you are interested in subscribing, you can do it for only € 6.99 / month, although there are also some free services… And you can even try it for a period for free.

Can I watch Rakuten TV on my Linux PC?

PC requirements

Rakuten TV is cross-platform, and can work on multiple devices. Among the systems in which it can work are:

  • Smart TV (WebOS / TizenOS / Android TV): LG, Sony, Philips, Samsung, Panasonic, HiSense, etc.
  • Google Chromecast: works on devices that support this technology.
  • Mobile devices: both Android and iOS / iPadOS.
  • Video Games: Sony PS3, PS4, and Microsoft Xbox 360 and One.
  • PC (web-based)- Can run on various operating systems that meet the recommended requirements.
* In any case, it is essential to have a broadband Internet connection, with a minimum speed of 6Mb.

As for the os recommended requirements to run on your Linux PC are:

  • PC:
    • 1Ghz CPU (32/64-bit)
    • 1GB RAM for 32-bit or 2GB for 64-bit
    • 16 GB of free hard disk for 32-bit or 20GB for 64-bit.
    • Windows or GNU/Linux operating system, or others compatible with supported browsers. *ATTENTION: desde Linux and other systems, you can browse the web platform, watch trailers, etc., but you cannot watch series or movies.
  • Mac:
    • iMac 2007 or later
    • MacBook 2009 or later
    • MacBook Pro 2009 or later
    • MacBook Air 2008 or later
    • Mac Mini 2009 or later
    • Mac Pro 2008 or later
    • With Mac OS X Mavericks operating system or higher

As for the web browsers from which you can run the web version of this service, if there is no client for your system, you can use the latest versions of:

  • Microsoft Edge
  • Google Chrome / Chromium
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Opera

In order to use the full functions of Rakuten TV from your Linux PC you have several options:

  • Use a virtual machine with Windows / macOS to use it from a browser on this system.
  • Install an Android / Android TV emulator to be able to install the official app for mobile devices.

What does Rakuten TV offer?

free tv channels linux

Rakuten TV, as I have already mentioned, has a extensive catalog with several thousand titles of series, movies, documentaries and sports. Both national and international content.

Free or paid streaming

Within the streaming content of Rakuten TV you have the posibilidad of :

  • See the content of movies offered for free. You do not need registration or anything like that, just install the client app on your device and access the Free / Free area where you will find a list of totally free movies to watch, with ads (AVOD), yes. In addition, this list is updated periodically, so you will be able to see news constantly.
  • Even if you do not pay subscription, you can also act in video store mode, being able to buy or rent a specific movie that you like. You pay for such content and avoid a subscription.
  • You can subscribe and for that monthly fee to be able to access all the content available on the platform without restrictions. That is significantly cheaper in the long run if you consume a lot of content.

Now also free TV channels

In addition to the above, there is something new in Rakuten TV, and it is the possibility of using this platform as a television, with a series of channels broadcasting 24 hours to watch for free, Pluto TV style, and whose only requirement is to have Internet.

Specifically you have now 90 free channels that broadcast programs and movies 24 hours a day, so you can add it to the DTT television offer. These channels have a great variety of themes:

  • News
  • Sports
  • Music
  • Movies
  • Lifestyle
  • Entertainment
  • Kids
  • etc.

For this, Rakuten TV has come to an agreement with brands like Vogue, Wired, The Hollywood Reporter, Glamor, GQ, Vanity Fair, Qwest TV, Reuters, Stingray, Euronews, ¡Hola !, Planeta Junior, and Bloomberg.

Although in different countries different content will be broadcast, and you will not be able to choose content on demand (VOD), but they have a fixed schedule, like conventional TV channels. That is, it will be like a TV to watch online, with ads.

At the moment, these channels are in beta phase, and you can only enjoy them in LG and Samsung smart TVs. Rakuten TV is already working to stop being in Beta phase and expand the service to other devices, in addition to going beyond those 90 channels ...


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  1.   x7ee8urce said

    It is advertising and misleading. Rakuten does not work on Linux

  2.   jus said

    You're right.
    *ATTENTION: desde Linux and other systems, you can browse the web platform, watch trailers, etc., but you cannot watch series or movies.

  3.   one two said

    That's
    RAKUTEN you can watch trailers, as mentioned.

    A lot of Spanish, and a little real LINUX

  4.   fart said

    42 countries of the European Union? What year are we in? I believed that with the departure of the United Kingdom, culminating in 2021, the European Union was made up of 27 countries ...