renew: Roku and Fox Corp.’s Tubi will bring a slew of free, ad-supported content from Warner Bros. Discovery to their streaming platforms.
Roku and Tubi are the first two partners for WBD’s new free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel. The deals come after Warner Bros. Discovery announced in December that it was removing several shows from HBO Max, including “Westworld,” “The Nevers,” “Raised by Wolves,” “FBoy Island,” “Legendary,” “Finding Magic Mike,” “The Squad Leader,” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife” — license them to third-party FAST partners.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav told analysts in November that the company will “aggressively enter” the lower end of the streaming market with its FAST product in 2023. “As a company with the largest library of titles in the industry, we have a unique opportunity to grow our addressable market and drive real value, and we plan to act quickly,” Zaslav said.
On Roku Channels, WBD’s FAST channel will launch in spring 2023, featuring titles from the media company’s portfolio, including “Westworld,” “The Bachelor,” “The Cake Boss,” “Say Yes to the Dress” and “F- Boys Island.” In addition, the Roku Channel will add approximately 2,000 hours of on-demand content, including hundreds of Warner Bros. Discovery TV series and movies. This content will come from WBD’s HBO, HBO Max, Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television and more.
Likewise, Tubi announced a content deal with Warner Bros. Discovery that will bring 14 WB-branded FAST channels and more than 225 ad-supported VOD shows to the platform — totaling more than 2,000 hours.
On Tubi, content will start rolling out as early as Wednesday (February 1) and continue throughout the month. Tubi is launching three new curated FAST channels — WB TV Reality, WB TV Series and WB TV Family — which will include all seasons of series including “Westworld,” “Raised by Wolves,” “Legendary,” “FBoy Island”, “The Nevers”, “Finding Magic Mike”, “The Monitor” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife”.
Tubi will also add 11 other FAST channels from Warner Bros. Discovery, with themes including lifestyle, family, classic movies, education, mysteries and weddings. New titles from Tubi’s expanded linear FAST and AVOD series will include “Cake Boss,” “My Cat From Hell,” “Breaking Amish,” “Caribbean Life,” “How It’s Made,” “Paranormal Lockdown,” “The Man of Tomorrow” and My Five Wives, as well as select seasons of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, plus films such as The Astronaut’s Wife, For Your Consideration and Lord of the Flies. “
As Warner Bros. Discovery enters the FAST segment, it is also preparing to launch the combined HBO Max-Discovery+ platform in the US this spring. Although “Max” has emerged as a leading contender, the company has yet to release details on pricing, packaging or name.
“We love working with world-class, cutting-edge partners like The Roku Channel. Their innovative platforms give us new ways to bring our valuable content to fans across the country,” said David Decker, president of content sales for the Warner Bros. Discovery Channel. said in a statement. About Tubi, he said: “Tubi’s innovative platform and these new channels are another way we are bringing the vast Warner Bros. Discovery Channel content to our fans. Tubi is an amazing customer and we are excited to expand our relationship with these new channels Relationship.”
Adam Lewinson, Tubi’s chief content officer, said in a statement: ”
Rob Holmes, Vice President of Programming at Roku, commented: “The rapid expansion of premium content on FAST is a win for viewers and content owners, as well as advertisers looking to reach that audience with high-profile programming. We are delighted to be part of Warner Bros. Discovery One of the first FAST partners of the Roku Channel, we look forward to introducing its incredible brand of TV series, movies and entertainment to a whole new audience on the Roku Channel.”
After six years, Holmes will leave Roku in March. The current head of Roku originals, David Eilenberg, will become the head of all content for Roku Media. He is the division president of former Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier, who joined the company last fall, which shows that the company is strengthening its focus on Content concerns.
Here’s a list of the 14 new Warner Bros. Discovery FAST channels:
- The World Bank TV Series: Premium TV series including ‘Westworld’, ‘Wolves Grow Up’, ‘Nevers’ and ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’
- WB Reality TV: Unscripted TV series including Legends, FBoy Island and Finding Magic Mike
- WB TV Series: Family Carnival series includes ‘Squad Leader’
- WB TV’s Sweet Escape: Baking competition shows include “Cake Boss,” “Extreme Cake Maker” and “Cake Wars”
- WB TV Paws and Claws: Pet shows include ‘Dogs 101’ and ‘My Cat from Hell’
- Snippets of the WB TV Life: Series that follow people from ‘every corner of the world’ including ‘Extreme Coupons,’ ‘Breaking the Amish,’ and ‘My Big Big Gypsy Wedding’
- WB TV Welcome Home: Real estate and interior design shows, including “Caribbean Living,” “Buy Hawaii,” and “Bahamas Living”
- Watch movies on WB TV: A selection of classic films from the 70s, 80s, and 90s
- How WB TV: “Stimulating Curiosity” series including “How It’s Made”, “How to Build Everything” and “How the Earth Works”
- WB TV Supernatural: Shows include ‘Ghost Brothers,’ ‘Paranormal Lockdown,’ and ‘Spooky Haven’
- WB TV Crime Series: Shows include “Murder Chosen Me,” “Crimes to Remember” and “Murder Comes Down”
- WB TV Mystery: Shows such as “Museum Mystery,” “Monument Mystery,” and “Forbidden Zone”
- WB TV Love and Marriage: Shows include “Say Yes to Dresses in Atlanta,” “Four Weddings” and “A Wedding Story”
- WB TV Family Rules: Series about real-life families, including “Long-Lost Family,” “Little Couple” and “My Five Wives”
- WB TV keeps it real: Reality shows include “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” “Bachelor in Paradise,” “Finding Magic Mike,” and “Fboy Island”
- Together with WB TV: Play alongside “Characters That Feel Like Family,” including “Eight Is Enough,” “Better With You” and “Squad Leader”
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