Fox Entertainment’s Tubi is teaming up with Shaw Communications, bringing the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service to Shaw TV customers in Canada.
Shaw TV subscribers in Western Canada will be able to access live and on-demand content from Tubi directly from a set-top box using their voice remote. The voice remote can also be used to find any title on Tubi, easing search and discovery. The FAST service set-top box integration means Tubi content can be found alongside Shaw On-Demand content, live TV or recorded movies and episodes in a single place.
Shaw is Canada’s fourth largest operator, and one that licenses Comcast’s X1 platform. Rogers Communications, which also licenses X1, is in the process of trying to finalize a proposed merger with Shaw, but the two have hit roadblocks with the Canadian government over concerns the $26 billion deal could result in less competition for wireless and cable services.
As for the new Tubi distribution, the service’s library of movies and TV shows are available to Shaw TV customers at no extra charge. Tubi’s added 12 new titles in Canada this month, with “The Aviator,” “Mystic River,” “Rush Hour,” and “Boogie Nights” among them.
“We know Canadians are looking to access as much of their favorite content as possible, and by adding the Tubi app to our growing library of content, we’re giving our customers even more ways to access the best and most acclaimed movies and TV shows, all at no extra charge to Shaw TV subscribers,” said Andrew Eddy, VP of programming at Shaw, in a statement.
Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson said in a statement that the FAST service is excited to broaden its footprint in Canada with one of the region’s leading content and connectivity providers.
“Our collaboration with Shaw and its Shaw TV offering highlights Tubi’s continued dedication to bring free, premium content to a broad cross-section of consumers,” Lewinson commented.
It’s the latest move in Canada for Tubi, which earlier this month signed a new distribution deal with the National Film Board of Canada to bring a slate of 29 documentaries to its on-demand platform in the country, as well as the U.S. and Australia.
In June Tubi inked a deal with Lionsgate that added 30 new feature films along with more than 200 Lionsgate fan-favorite titles.
Fox acquired Tubi two years ago for around $440 million. Tubi is expected to bring in around $700 million in revenue by the end of 2022, a figure that Fox Corporation’ CEO Lachlan Murdoch told Axios in May was “about right.”
Fox plans to invest between $200 million and $300 million annually in its streaming efforts, he said.