FuboTV’s bundles got a little fatter with the addition Friday of five of Cinedigm’s FAST lifestyle-oriented channels.
The linear TV service’s entry-level Fubo Pro, $69.99 a month, now includes Cinedigm’s Bob Ross Channel (featuring “the entire catalog of the iconic ‘The Joy of Painting’ television series,” Cinedigm’s press release notes). The service also now includes Comedy Dynamics and Dove Channel all of which is dubbed “family-friendly content."
Fubo subscribers who add its $7.99 Extra option or choose its $79.99 Elite and $99.99 Ultimate bundles get two other Cinedigm offerings: the Elvis Presley Channel and the anime-centric RetroCrush.
At Fubo’s investor day earlier this month, executives emphasized the importance of free ad-subsidized TV to its plans to reach profitability by 2025. Henry Ahn, chief business officer, said then that FAST channels don’t require Fubo to pay the license fees of traditional cable networks, let Fubo keep from 50% to 75% of advertising revenue, and have been drawing 25% more viewing time on the platform.
Cinedigm’s announcement underscored how niche FAST channels can encourage long-term viewing.
“The explosion of FAST has made it easier than ever for passionate fans to immerse themselves into programming in any genre — from anime to comedy — or featuring the biggest pop culture icons like Bob Ross and Elvis Presley,” the release quoted Jennifer Soltesz, Cinedigm’s vice president for business development and strategy.
With Friday’s news following such recent additions of FAST channels from Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment and Trusted Media Brands, Fubo’s lineup now runs as long as an old-school pay-TV provider’s. The service that in 2017 touted itself as a “right-sized” skinny bundle now offers 138 channels in New York on its base plan and 234 channels on its top tier.