The Fubo menu now includes stupid human tricks and cat videos, thanks to the linear streaming platform adding a set of free ad-supported streaming TV channels from Trusted Media Brands (TMB).
The New York service announced the news Monday. TMB’s "FailArmy" (Fubo’s release describes it as “the freshest and funniest fail videos, pranks, comedy, original series and more”), "People Are Awesome" (“jaw-dropping stunts, expert fitness tips, inspiring athlete documentaries and adventure travel”), and "The Pet Collective" (“the best pet videos, news, products, how-to’s and more”) are already available. A fourth FAST offering from New York-based TMB, "WeatherSpy," will debut “shortly.”
The release notes that Fubo now offers more than 30 FAST channels — almost 20 added this year, with plans to add another 100 by the end of 2022.
“Launching FAST channels, like TMB’s popular brands, on FuboTV enables us to expand our programming offering while keeping costs low for consumers,” the release quotes Henry Ahn, chief business officer at Fubo. “These channels offer a wide range of sports, news and entertainment content that are a perfect complement to FuboTV’s premium channels.”
Fubo’s announcement approvingly cites a May 2022 Morning Consult poll that found 57% of all adults would prefer a free or cheap ad-supported streaming service over a high-cost, no-ads option. Fubo itself has not been able to avoid programming-cost inflation, having hiked its rates in July of 2020 by $5 or $10 a month, depending on the plan.
Alan Wolk, TVREV co-founder and lead analyst, gave a thumbs-up to Fubo’s move to give its viewers more lean-back content, in the form of likable video programming that already has wide appeal.
“Who doesn’t like cute pet videos?” he wrote in an email. “Not every TV viewing experience needs to be a ‘lean-in’ experience — there are plenty of times we just want to watch TV to relax, and these channels all provide that experience.”
Fubo’s latest FAST additions are themselves a recent addition to the lineup at TMB; the New York firm behind such old-school brands as Reader’s Digest and Taste of Home brought these channels on board when it bought Los Angeles-based Jukin Media in August of 2021 at an undisclosed price. Fubo’s announcement at the time cited “more than 220 million fans and 2 billion monthly video views on social media” for Jukin, while its release Monday cites “more than 250 million combined followers across social media” for TMB.