Fox's ad-supported streaming service, Tubi, has launched Stubios, a new program that will let four aspiring filmmakers create content based on viewer feedback.
Created in partnership with Issa Rae’s talent management company ColorCreative, Stubios will seek to identify four “Stubiorunners,” who will each lead their own series with the help of viewer-input.
Based on viewership, these creators' projects will have to reach a certain engagement threshold before they are automatically greenlit for their next project, meaning each series will have to fight for widespread appeal.
Tubi’s first group of creatives begins programming on Tuesday with Lady London, a viral American songwriter and rapper.
The second and third creatives have yet to be revealed by Tubi, but applications to assume the mantle as the fourth Stubiorunner will open Tuesday, with no barriers to entry.
Tubi points to that lack of obstacles as a major reason it believes Stubios will succeed.
“Our business model is centered on removing barriers, fostering expression, and listening to people,” said Dana Balch, Tubi’s director of product and consumer communications, in a phone call with Next TV.
“It doesn’t look like a lot of typical platforms,” said Balch. “But this is our response to a changing media and entertainment landscape that’s really grounded in what’s been successful for Tubi over the years: giving opportunities to independent filmmakers that want a direct path to break into the industry.”
Balch also called Rae’s story, which began with a Youtube web series called Awkward Black Girl, the “best example of what Stubios could create.”
“She had her own show on YouTube — not because she wanted to be a YouTube — but because it was the platform without barriers,” explained Balch. “It’s sad there’s not more Issa Rae’s out there already, but we feel like Stubios is a model that’s likely to find and source creatives of that caliber.”
Balch also said that the vertically-oriented swipe feature will help users feel engaged like they do on social platforms.
“We know that younger generations are spending more time on social media rather than streaming, so we’re looking for an engaging way to marry all of that.”
