Tubi signs a non-exclusive, ad-revenue-sharing deal with SiriusXM—a different path from Netflix’s exclusivity—as the lines between formats blur
Free, ad-supported streaming (FAST/AVOD) is rewriting its own content menu.
Once built on libraries of films, dramas and unscripted shows, the free-streaming camp is now rapidly embracing new formats such as creator video and video podcasts—shifting from its early days of imitating cable channels into a multi-format platform. The latest sign is Fox-owned Tubi's decision to bring SiriusXM's video podcasts onto its service.
Jung Han
The forces driving the change are cost, advertising and viewing behavior. As original-content budgets soar, creator and podcast content that already commands fandom and buzz has become a comparatively low-cost way to fill programming gaps and differentiate a platform. At the same time, in a FAST/AVOD model that monetizes through advertising, every new format means new ad inventory. Audio has long grown by being distributed broadly across platforms—now video is following that same path onto the connected-TV (CTV) screen.