Dive Brief:
- TikTok and Tubi are partnering to help creators make the transition from smartphones to living room screens, according to a press release.
- The duo’s Creatorverse Incubator will see TikTok identifying the right creator talent and Tubi developing scripted and unscripted content across genres. The resulting original series will premiere exclusively on Tubi, which reaches more than 100 million monthly active viewers.
- TikTok will leverage its Spotlight promotional feature to drive more user interest in the Tubi offerings. Tubi, which is free and ad-supported, will pitch the offering to advertisers as part of its NewFronts showcase next week.
Dive Insight:
TikTok and Tubi’s creator incubator program builds a bridge for rising social media talent to break into long-form streaming content. Consumers increasingly watch creator videos on apps like YouTube and TikTok via their living room screens, a trend Fox-owned Tubi wants to capitalize on as it ramps up its overtures to Madison Avenue as part of the NewFronts, a series of events wherein digital-first publishers try to lock in large ad-spending commitments.
Creatorverse Incubator leans into the strengths of each of its partners. TikTok, predominantly known for short-form video, is tasked with sourcing the right creators to participate in the program and generating user interest through its Spotlight feature. Tubi, meanwhile, will assist those creators in the development of original series spanning scripted and unscripted genres that can round out its content slate. The hope is that selected creators will be able to easily bring over their built-in followings, a prospect that could drive Tubi sign-ups and appeal to brands.
“TikTok has become one of the most powerful engines for discovering creative voices and building passionate communities at scale,” said Rich Bloom, general manager of creator programs and executive vice president of business development at Tubi, in a statement. “This partnership allows us to work with successful TikTok creators who are ready to take the next step creatively, expanding their fandoms to new audiences on Tubi and bringing Tubi fans more stories they can’t find anywhere else.”
Tubi has added thousands of episodes of programming from more than 200 creators in the past 10 months, the announcement said, making a more formalized pipeline with TikTok feel like a natural next step. The initial class of Creatorverse Incubator will be revealed this summer.
The pact also speaks to how creators are trying to diversify beyond being pegged to one app or content format. More entertainment studios are turning to viral social media stars for TV and film deals as they try to engage digital-first audiences like Gen Z who have grown up in online spaces.
Tubi pointed to research conducted in partnership with The Harris Poll that found 37% of viewers want to see existing creator content on streaming platforms while 36% want to see creators cast in original series. Over two-thirds of those surveyed feel creator content is more original than what they see in traditional film and TV.
