Fox purchased the content platform and streaming service Tubi in April 2020 for $440 million. While the ad-supported platform was often left out of the discussion by many American consumers considering with streaming service to watch, Fox has since set out to make it more worthwhile. It sounds as though they may have found an angle that will catch the eye of sports fans.
Back in early 2021, Fox noted that Tubi would feature an “NFL experience…consisting of premiere VOD as well as condensed games throughout the NFL season.” Tuesday, Variety reported that the streamer will start rolling out an extensive collection of sports programming beyond that.
“Sports on Tubi” is the service’s new hub for all sports content. The biggest piece of the hub is the introduction of 10 live stream sports channels for many of their content partners, including Fox Sports, Fox Deportes, NFL, MLB, beIn Sports Xtra and beIn Sports Xtra en Español, Fubo Sports Network, Pac-12 Insider, Stadium and USA Today SportsWire. Per Variety, the service will also add channels for partners such as ACC Network and Real Madrid later in 2021 and beyond.
Not everyone will have access to “Sports on Tubi” for the moment. It will soon make its debut on Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Android devices. Per the article, it will be added to other platforms soon.
One aspect that is worth noting is that while the channels are “live” in that they will showcase traditional linear TV programming, it’s not going to be a place to see many actual live games as they happen. The Fox Sports channel will feature “highlights, daily studio content and original programming” while the NFL channel will feature “near-to-live” highlights and replays of “some of the most memorable matchups in NFL history.” In their release, Pac-12 Networks said that “Pac-12 Insider offers fans free access to up to 100 live events,” which consists of sports such as men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s water polo but bot higher-profile sports like football or basketball.
Along with the channels, “Sports on Tubi” will also include almost 700 hours of on-demand content from various pro and college sports leagues, including the NFL, MLB, Nascar, Big Ten, Pac-12, Big 12, and Big East to name a few.
[Variety]
