News Corp’s streamer Tubi wants to become the market leading AVOD in a highly competitive and clustered streaming market. Tubi’s international markets managing director and EVP David Salmon, tells B&T that he is confident America’s largest advertising supported streaming service can break through in Australia.
Grey’s Anatomy, Prison Break and Lost. Three classic TV series from the noughties hold a secret that most TV viewers would not realise. They are the three most streamed shows, per hours viewed, across all platforms.
It turns out that the hottest new TV series – such as White Lotus, Yellowstone or Stranger Things are not always the most watched.
In fact, of the top 10, only The Resident (2018) was produced in the past 10 years. Shows such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Suits are among the most watched shows on streaming platforms.
Tubi, which News Corp has brought back into its fold since Foxtel was acquired by DAZN earlier this year, is positioning itself as a go-to destination for ‘new-stalgia’ hits from the past. Tubi, which is not as well known in Australia as it is in the US, has lofty ambitions to become the dominant player in the AVOD space, carving out its own slice of an incredibly crowded streaming ecosystem that includes the likes of Netflix, Disney+. Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Paramount+ and local players like BINGE, Kayo, 9Now, 7Plus, 10Play, SBS On Demand and ABC iview.
“The Australian landscape is extremely competitive, and there are really credible competitors in every direction, whether it’s SVODs, BVODs or other global and local subscription services with ad tiers. But it’s not distinct, the UK has a similar competitive set with BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 on the BVOD side and the global and European SVODs in that market,” said Tubi International managing director and EVP David Salmon.
“Our instinct is that we will be able to find space in a market where we’re offering something that is compelling and differentiated for consumers who maybe don’t necessarily have one of the existing services, or are just looking to add more to their media diet.
“You know, when we talk about fandoms in the presentation, that really is this idea that some people have an insatiable appetite for extremely deep rabbit holes of discovery in particular content verticals that just don’t exist on those other platforms.
“We’re not asking people’s relationship with us to be completely monogamous; there is an expectation that you are probably in a lot of services. The nice thing is to add to your media consumption diet. It’s extremely low pressure. We’re not asking you to put your hand in your pocket and enter your credit card details.”
The power of ‘new-stalgia’
Tubi has 125,000 films and TV episodes, making it one of the largest content libraries in market. Since 2021, it has begun commissioning Tubi Originals, such as Sidelined: The QB and Me, The Thicket, and The Z Suite. Although it doesn’t commission originals to the same level as Netflix or Amazon Prime, Tubi has a huge back catalogue of hits that Salmon described as “new-stalgia”, which is connecting younger audiences to the hits shows their parents watched, and parents longing to rewatch shows from previous eras.
Salmon said that there are currently no plans to commission Aussie TV shows, but wouldn’t rule it out in the future.
The partnership with News Corp suits both parties. It offers News Corp a premium video platform to sell ads and for Tubi the opportunity to promote the product across News Corp properties has “undeniable value”.
Tubi currently has 97 million active monthly viewers, making it one of the largest streaming platforms in the US. It also reaches a third of Canadian adults and is active across parts of Latin America and the UK.
Salmon said that Tubi is “interested in and actively having” a conversation OzTAM about potentially joining VOZ, although it would not be tied to a single measurement currency.
“Our job is to make sure that when you spend $1 on Tubi, you’re really able to understand impact, and we’re pretty pragmatic about making sure that marketers can achieve that using our tools,” he said.
“We want to be the category leader in AVOD, and ultimately, we want to offer the best free streaming experience for any consumer to be able to jump into,” he said.
“From our experience in the US, the biggest learning is that we offer choice to consumers and make sure that our service feels like a very kind of low pressure, judgment free place where you can find a home for your fandom.”
In a cost of living crisis, Tubi’s proposition will appeal to consumers. And the streaming service is confident that with News Corp’s sales team muscle, advertisers will also want to play in its ‘premium polygamous’ sales pitch.
