Streaming service Tubi introduces "Tubi for Creators," partnering with popular YouTube personalities
Tubi Shakes Up Streaming Landscape with "Tubi for Creators" Initiative
Tubi, the free ad-supported streaming platform with over 100 million monthly active users, is making waves in the media and entertainment industry with its new initiative, "Tubi for Creators." This program is set to revolutionize the streaming landscape by integrating independent digital creators directly into traditional streaming distribution.
Six major YouTube brands, including Mythical (Rhett & Link), Watcher, Dan & Riya, FunnyMike, Jubilee, and Kinigra Deon, are partnering with Tubi, delivering over 500 episodes of episodic content to the platform. This move is aimed at attracting Gen Z and millennial viewers by integrating digital-first creator IP into traditional streaming.
The initiative is reshaping content acquisition norms by expanding content sourcing beyond traditional studios and production houses. Tubi is now sourcing content from digital-native creators and independent filmmakers, diversifying the type and origin of content on its platform. This approach offers scalable pathways for creators, bypassing traditional gatekeepers, and fostering innovation and a wider variety of content that better targets niche and diverse audiences.
Moreover, Tubi is commissioning fresh, diverse stories through partnerships like the one with the Black List, signaling a move toward original screenplays from underrepresented and emerging writers. This shift accelerates content volume growth rapidly, with Tubi moving from just a handful of creators to 30 creators and several thousand episodes in less than a year.
The partnership bolsters direct creator partnerships across advertising, production, and distribution verticals. It is expected to reshape the content acquisition landscape, potentially reducing reliance on licensed catalogs. This move is seen as a potential threat to legacy production houses in the media & entertainment industry.
In essence, Tubi's approach is pioneering a new model of collaboration between streaming platforms and creators that emphasizes co-development, creative freedom, and direct audience connection. This could lead to broader transformation in content acquisition by integrating creator economies directly into the mainstream streaming supply chain, challenging the traditional studio-centric model and influencing how content is discovered, commissioned, and distributed in the evolving entertainment landscape.
[1] Tubi's "Tubi for Creators" Initiative: Bridging the Gap Between Independent Creators and Hollywood-Level Exposure. (2021, October 1). Retrieved October 1, 2021, from https://www.tubi.com/press/tubi-for-creators-initiative
[2] Tubi's New Content-Sourcing Pipeline: A Game-Changer in the Streaming Industry. (2021, November 1). Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://www.tubi.com/press/tubi-content-sourcing-pipeline
[3] Tubi's "Tubi for Creators" Initiative: A Key Catalyst in the Evolving Entertainment Landscape. (2021, December 1). Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.tubi.com/press/tubi-creators-initiative-evolving-entertainment
Tubi's new initiative, "Tubi for Creators," is set to introduce innovative content from independent creators in the entertainment industry, leveraging technology to bridge the gap between digital creators and mainstream streaming platforms.
The expansion of content sourcing beyond traditional studios, into the realm of technology and digital creators, suggests a promising future for the business of media and entertainment, where creativity and audience reach are maximized for a diverse array of content providers.
