By Andy Fry
Fox-owned streaming platform Tubi has unveiled a major content deal with Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM. Under the terms of the deal, 500 hours of Korean content will be added as “a branded curation” to Tubi’s non-English content offering, beginning in December. Titles at launch include Squad 38, Reply 1994, Hogu’s Love, The Chronicles of Evil, A Werewolf Boy and Hindsight.
From Tubi’s perspective, the deal is about building out its non-English presence, with Korean programming viewership growing 25 per cent year-over-year on the platform. “Our partnership with CJ ENM comes at an optimal time for Tubi as we scale and enhance our focus on foreign language content,” said chief content officer, Tubi, Adam Lewinson. “Korean-language titles have been an increasingly popular destination for viewers and we’re excited to kick off this collaboration.”
From CJ ENM’s perspective, Sebastian Kim, director of content sales & acquisitions, said the company wants to “expand our global reach, not only by launching our content on various platforms but also in terms of offering a range of services from AVOD to FAST. We plan to seek opportunities to increase the accessibility of our content to global audiences to meet demand for K-content.”
Tubi has been a prime move in the current shift towards ad-supported streaming. It currently has 48,000 movies and TV shows in the US, including a growing library of Tubi Originals, 200+ local and live news, sports and entertainment channels, and 400+ entertainment partners. CJ ENM has become a major player on the global stage. Aside from its home-grown content, the company’s $785m acquisition of Endeavor Content, now Fifth Season, means it is now also a force in high-end English language scripted and non-scripted programming.
