By Andy Fry
Warner Bros. Discovery has inked two groundbreaking deals with Roku and Tubi that will bring a suite of Warner Bros. branded FAST channels to both ad-supported streaming platforms. Featuring shows like Westworld, The Bachelor, Cake Boss, FBoy Island and Say Yes to the Dress, the channels will start rolling out on Tubi almost immediately – and then arrive on The Roku Channel in spring 2023.
In addition to the new FAST channels, the deals also cover about 2000 hours of on-demand library programming to both platforms. Hundreds of TV series and movies from HBO, HBO Max, Discovery Channel, HGTV and more will be available.
Speaking to the Roku deal, VP, programming, Roku Rob Holmes said: “As FAST continues to explode in popularity, we’re seeing content players increasingly shift their focus towards capturing this audience, by bringing some of their best stuff to FAST. The rapid expansion of premium content on FAST is a win for both the viewer and content owner, as well as advertisers looking to reach these audiences.”
President of content sales for Warner Bros. Discovery David Decker added: “We love working with cutting-edge partners like The Roku Channel. Their innovative platforms provide us with new ways to bring our valuable content to fans across the country.”
Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free entertainment on the Roku platform. At time of writing, the Channel features a lineup of 80,000 free movies and programmes and more than 350 free live linear television channels in the US.
Over at Tubi, chief content officer Adam Lewinson said WBD “has a catalogue that TV lovers can’t get enough of and Tubi is proudly making many recent hits available to new audiences this month. From acclaimed and groundbreaking to lighthearted and addicting, our new WB branded FAST channels and on-demand offering will speak to each of Tubi’s distinct audience communities.”
Tubi says it is initially launching 14 channels – all with ‘WB TV” branding.
