Adding to its executive roster, sports-oriented streaming service fuboTV said it has hired digital-video pioneer Mike Berkley as chief product officer, effective immediately.
Previously chief product officer at Axios, Berkley will report to CEO David Gandler and be responsible for fuboTV's product strategy on platforms including connected TV, smart TV, mobile and web.
The chief product officer post at fuboTV has been vacant since 2017.
“Following our recent public offering, we are primed to take fuboTV to the next phase of our evolution, of which product and technology will play an even bigger role,” said Gandler. “One of our goals is to leverage data and consumer insights to build a more sophisticated live TV streaming platform that integrates video content and interactivity. Mike has the right skill set to help get us there - he’s led product development for some of the world’s biggest media companies while also building from scratch entirely new businesses for companies, like Spotify, and as a tech founder. I’m thrilled to welcome Mike to fuboTV.”
Earlier this month, fuboTV reported a third quarter $274 million loss--including a $236.7 million charge against its FaceBank business. Revenue rose 47% to $61.2 million and it increased its subscriber base by 58%.
The company also announced that its plans to move into the sports betting business as a complement to its live sports streaming packages.
Over the course of his career, Berkley has been involved in developing products for an evolving TV business. At Axios, and earlier at Moviepass, Viacom, Comcast and Spotify, he developed new products, platforms and businesses.
He pushed Axios into mobile, TV, podcasts and live video events and helped launch the Xfinity X1 platform at Comcast.
He also founded two tech startups.
“I am very excited to join fuboTV at this pivotal moment for the company,” said Berkley. “We are well-positioned to accelerate growth by introducing new product experiences that take advantage of our sports-first content offering, proprietary platform and renowned video tech. The potential for casual gaming and wagering as part of the live sports viewing experience is especially compelling. I love the company’s ambition.”
