A year after acquiring Tubi, Fox Entertainment will be programming the free ad-supported streaming service with more than 140 hours of original content.
The announcement will be a part of Tubi’s presentation Monday at the Digital Content NewFronts. Ad supported streaming services have been gaining ground with mostly acquired programming. To compete some, like Tubi, are going to add original content to attract and retain viewers.
Fox is using Tubi’s data-driven technology to identify genres and shows that will resonate with Tubi viewers and to make the advertising more relevant as well.
“Tubi has the unique ability to understand its audience, their interests, their curiosities and their obsessions which we call ‘pockets of passion.’ This could be anything audiences crave from rom-coms to Black Cinema, female-led dramas to anime, 80s action movies, and so much more,” said Charlie Collier, CEO of Fox Entertainment.
“That’s why Fox and Tubi together matter for you. We are simply building a new and better way to maximize advertising investment,” Collier said.
Also Read: Roku Offering Upfront Buyers Two-Day Cancellation Option
Fox is bullish on Tubi. CEO Lachlan Murdoch predicted it would soon be a $1 billion business. Tubi will be sold as part of the Fox portfolio during the upfront market.
Tubi had a record-setting Total View Time of 798 million hours during the first quarter this year, up 54% year-over-year, and a new high of 276 million hours of TVT in March. More than 2.5 billion hours of content were streamed on Tubi over the course of 2020, as Fox started adding some of its hit shows, like The Masked Singer, to Tubi.
The new Tubi content will include Tubi Original Documentaries from Fox Alternative Entertainment, animated show from Fox’s Bento Box Entertainment and other programs across the Black cinema, thriller, horror, sci-fi, romance and western genres.
Tubi Originals will also be incorporated into seasonal and owned tentpole programming moments, such as its upcoming Hot Christmas and shark event programming later this year.
Tubi’s proprietary Content Intelligence informs the development of its originals, recognizing viewer demand by applying personalization with consumption data to give viewers more of what they want.
Tubi is enhancing its platform to help advertisers connect with the platform’s young, diverse and incremental audiences by reducing ad repetition with Advanced Frequency Management. It also is developing new ways for advertisers to connect with their desirable audiences in more meaningful ways with on-device-sponsored integrations.
The technology should be a benefit to sponsors, said Farhad Massoudi, CEO and founder of Tubi.
“Let me be very direct. At scale, this makes a very big difference to you, the advertising community. This approach builds massive viewership that is diverse, like our content offering, which helps you connect with your audiences. 68% of our viewers don’t watch other ad-supported streaming services and of our current audience, 39% is multicultural. I'm very proud of that. And this audience has grown because we continue to build upon the thousands of titles that appeal to diverse audiences,” Massoudi said.
Tubi said the median age of the platform’s viewers at 37, 20 years younger than that of linear TV. It said 39% of its audience identifies as multicultural. Additionally, 68% of Tubi’s audience does not watch other ad-supported streaming services.
Tubi has more than 30,000 movies and television series from more than 250 content partners, including every major studio, in addition to the largest live local and national news channels.
