Tubi, the Fox-owned free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service, is expanding its presence in Latin America this month with launches in five new countries.
New locations slated for launch include Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama. It marks the latest for Tubi, which is already available in Mexico since the AVOD platform launched there in 2020.
Tubi library content in the region will be localized in Spanish-language. Tubi said movies such as “The Green Hornet,” “Hellboy,” “American Psycho” and TV series such as “L.A.’s Finest,” and “Masters of Sex” will stream in all five new locations. Regionally produced TV series will be available soon along with localized versions of shows including “The Nanny,” “Bewitched,” and “Married with Children.”
“We’re delighted to launch our platform in these five Latin American countries, bringing viewers a mix of locally-produced content, Spanish-language favorites and Hollywood titles,” said Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer at Tubi, in a statement.
Lewinson also said that the FAST is eager to deepen its reach in Latin America “after the stellar success of Tubi in Mexico, which has seen tremendous growth in such a short amount of time.”
To that point, in the last year, Tubi’s total viewing time (TVT) in Mexico grew 60% year over year, with total viewers growing 40% year over year.
Under a partnership Tubi is also home to titles from TV Azteca, one of the world’s two largest producers of Spanish-language content.
In the new markets Tubi will be available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Google TV and other Android TV OS devices, as well as LG TVs, Samsung TVs, Microsoft Store on Windows, and Vidaa Smart OS on Hisense TVs. And in select countries Amazon Fire TV stick devise and Roku TV and players. It’s also available on the web.
Tubi has been expanding distribution, including with traditional TV service providers. Last month it entered Canada through a partnership with Shaw Communications, which will provide access to Shaw TV subscribers directly from set-top boxes. And most recently Fox arranged for the inclusion of Tubi as part of a broader renewed distribution deal with Verizon that will see the FAST included on Fios set-top boxes and other platforms.
Speaking on Fox’s quarterly earnings call this week, CEO Lachlan Murdoch said the platform generated nearly 40% growth of total viewing time and revenue growth of 45% across the fiscal year. in the June quarter, 34% growth in TVT on Tubi helped drive revenue growth in the low double-digits.
“We will continue to invest judiciously in Tubi with our sights set on achieving $1 billion dollars in revenue run rate in the next couple of years,” Murdoch said.
In the FAST landscape, Warner Bros. Discovery is the latest media company to eye an entry. Executives disclosed during last week’s earnings call that the WBD is exploring the launch of a FAST, where content would be distinct from its forthcoming premium streaming product that combines HBO Max and Discovery+.