It seems it is a week for the smaller streaming platforms to shine. Alongside considerable movement from Apple, including its new rebrand, we also saw a new international licensing and distribution deal between Bell Media and Tubi. Our Blake & Wang P.A. expert entertainment attorney, Brandon Blake, shares more below.
Bell Media and Tubi Sales Pact
Tubi, which functions mostly as Fox’s ad-supported streamer, is now heading to Canada as a result of the new deal for both content and ad sales with Bell Media. Under the terms of the deal, they will co-develop original content for global release on Tubi and Bell’s platforms. Bell will take over as the exclusive ad sales partner for Tubi in Canada, while also bringing its own FAST channels to the platform.
A Difficult Market
In the Canadian TV market, we’ve seen subscribers opt out of legacy channels in favor of streaming platforms, giving Tubi some groundwork it has taken full advantage of. Tubi’s cheaper, ad-supported offerings have seen considerable uptake, even ahead of local media companies. Under the new development deal, we will also see Canadian-focused originals created both for local markets and for release in the US under the broader Fox banner. It’s perhaps worth remembering that Bell Media itself has a stake in the indie producer, Sphere Media, as well as several content development pacts with some notable companies, including Lionsgate itself.
This should allow Fox, Bell Media, and Tubi itself to share both risks and costs in new developments, as well as take advantage of local tax credits. With the service having already demonstrated both traction among local audiences as well as viewer interest, it will be interesting to see how the new deal changes its appeal to Canadian viewers, as well as how the coming Canadian originals perform on US streaming platforms.
Film and Television 