As Disney-controlled Fubo reported fiscal 2026 third quarter earnings Wednesday, newly minted CEO Alisa Bowen touted positive early benefits, including subscriber acquisition and improved ad monetization, thanks to the sports-focused virtual MVPD’s deeper commercial relationship and integrations that give it a presence on Diseny streaming and ad tech platforms.
In fiscal Q3 Fubo reported total paid North American pay TV subscribers of 5.75 million. That figure includes subscribers to Disney’s Hulu + Live TV vMVPD, which combined businesses with Fubo under a 2025 deal that saw Disney take an 70% ownership stake in the merged entity.
Third quarter subscribers represent an uptick from the 5.63 million it had in the same period a year ago, where a letter to shareholders attributed the strength in part to its offering of live sporting events like the NBA Finals and the FIFA World Cup. Still, it’s fewer than the 6.18 million subscribers Fubo ended December with.
Rest of the World paid subscribers also increased slightly to 356,000, compared to 349,000 in Q3 fiscal 2025.
The streaming pay TV provider delivered total revenue of $1.48 billion, up from $1.074 billion a year prior. Its quarterly net loss of $25.7 million improved year-over-year from $38 million. However adjusted EBITDA declined year-over-year to $19 million versus $31 million in the same period a year ago.
The company revised the low end of its fiscal 2026 Adjusted EBITDA guidance upwards to $90-$100 million, compared to the previous $80-$100 million.
Bowen, a veteran Disney executive, just last month replaced Fubo co-founder and long-time CEO David Gandler at the helm - making her the company’s just second-ever chief executive.
“Since my appointment in July, my confidence in FuboTV’s differentiation and unique growth prospects has only continued to build,” stated Bowen in the earnings press release. “Our third quarter performance demonstrated strong subscriber acquisition, underpinned by our unparalleled ability to provide a compelling viewing experience to fans during high-profile sports events like the NBA Finals and the FIFA World Cup 2026 with flexible programming packages and innovative user experiences.”
Her first quarterly letter to shareholders also gave credit to the new commercial, product and ad tech integrations enabled by its new parent Disney as helping to drive multiple benefits for the streaming pay TV provider in the period.
One specific example the letter called out was integration of Fubo with the “Where to Watch” game-finding feature on Disney’s ESPN’s app, which Bowen said is helping Fubo attract and acquire subscribers.
Integration with the feature “is proving to be an emerging source of subscriber acquisition for Fubo products, delivering strong conversion and retention metrics to date compared with other acquisition channels, and demonstrating the opportunity from reaching high quality, well qualified potential subscribers with our offers,” wrote Bowen.
The Disney ownership and integration of Fubo inventory with the Disney ad server and operations also appears to be showing early green shoots, allowing the vMPVD to command higher prices and fill or sell more ad inventory.
“We have begun to see the power of being part of the Disney advertising organization with improvements in both Fubo’s CPM rates and capacity utilization since completing our migration to the Disney Ad Server platform,” Bowen said in the letter, adding it was positive for Fubo to also be included in Disney’s Upfront negotiations this year.
“While these initiatives are in their early innings, they are positive steps that we plan to continue building on as we move forward,” she continued.
In addition to a strong live sports experience and Disney integrations, the letter noted advances on the live TV user experience were also on display during the World Cup, including features like enhanced search and personalization, interactive content hubs and mobile viewing features.
“Our subscribers’ response to these features was strong and reinforces the Company’s position as an innovator,” Bowen wrote to shareholders.
With her feet newly wet as chief executive, Bowen went on to say that she’s working with teams to refine the strategic focus and figure out where to maximize opportunities in order drive growth, profitability and prepare Fubo for its next phase.
She expects to share a strategic update for Fubo with investors on the company’s next earnings call in November.