Tubi, the free streaming service owned by Fox, is doubling down on influencer-led content with a new program designed to lure TikTok creators into making original shows. This move, announced Thursday, marks a significant shift toward leveraging social media popularity to drive subscriber growth and engagement.
The Creatorverse Incubator: A New Approach to Streaming
The “Creatorverse Incubator” provides financial and promotional support to TikTok personalities, giving them creative control over original series. This strategy echoes similar initiatives by Peacock, which last year began enlisting TikTok talent. This is a growing trend: streaming platforms are recognizing the direct access to audiences that influencers provide.
Tubi’s current monthly active user base exceeds 100 million, but the platform aims to attract new viewers eager to watch shows featuring their favorite TikTok stars. The incubator will allow creators to develop both scripted and unscripted content, with Tubi backing the projects financially and in promotion.
Beyond TikTok: A Broader Creator Strategy
This isn’t Tubi’s first foray into influencer content. Over the past year, the company has expanded its collaborations with online personalities. Ten months ago, Tubi launched a program to bring content from YouTube creators, including Mythical Entertainment, onto its platform. Currently, Tubi hosts over 16,000 episodes from more than 200 creators. The recent premiere of “Terri Joe: Missionary in Miami,” featuring TikTok personalities Terri Joe and Amethyst Jade, exemplifies this direction.
The platform has also experimented with crowdfunding partnerships via Kickstarter and “Stubios,” a program to support aspiring filmmakers.
How Tubi Stands Out from the Competition
Unlike larger competitors like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+, which typically use influencers for short-term marketing buzz, Tubi is building long-term content partnerships. These rivals often invite influencers to premieres or early screenings, but Tubi is actively integrating creators into its production pipeline. This difference reflects a bet that organic, influencer-driven content will attract and retain a younger, digitally native audience more effectively than traditional marketing.
The first group of creators to join the Creatorverse Incubator will be announced later this summer.
This strategy underscores a key shift in the streaming landscape: platforms are no longer just competing on blockbuster content but on the ability to tap into the highly engaged communities built by social media stars.
