Fox’s Tubi has signed an exclusive content deal with Vice Media Group for eight new Tubi Original documentaries.
The first, The Cult of Elon, about Tesla founder and controversial Twitter owner Elon Musk, will debut on the free, ad-supported streaming platform on April 24. The second documentary, Vigilante Inc., a look at the rise of online vigilantism, will launch on the FAST channel on May 6.
The exclusive content deal will also see documentaries launch this year on Tubi about other hot-button topics like chatbot technology, mass shootings in the U.S. and ticket scalping. The exclusive content deal comes as ad-based platforms like Paramount’s Pluto TV, Fox’s Tubi, Amazon’s Freevee and the Roku Channel are looking to expand against dominant competition from Netflix and Disney+.
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The FAST channels are betting their library content and new originals will be the next big thing in online video and allow them to capture an increasing share of ad dollars shifting to streaming from traditional linear TV platforms.
“These original documentaries will raise the curtain and spark conversation on stories that tap into today’s cultural zeitgeist, including ticket scalping, chatbots and the rise of online vigilantism,” Adam Lewinson, Tubi’s chief content officer, said of expanding his platform’s offer of originals beyond true crime and pop culture topics, among others.
Beverly Chase, vp current programming at Vice News, will oversee the partnership with Tubi. And Vice Content Distribution will retain worldwide rights to the Tubi slate of documentaries for exploitation outside of the U.S. market.
