FuboTV has made a sweeping change to its brand, removing the “TV” from its logo to become simply “Fubo” – a change the company said reflects its focus on efficient growth.
The rebrand comes after Fubo reported 1.44 million North American subscribers at the end of Q4. Overall, Fubo saw 251,000 net subscriber additions in that period, while reaching $1 billion in global annual revenue for the first time.
“Alongside our continued growth, our consumers have affectionately shortened our name to Fubo and we feel that name represents the premium media brand we are today,” stated Fubo Co-Founder and CEO David Gandler, noting the vMVPD has grown in size and scope since its launch in 2015.
Further bolstering its brand, Fubo unveiled a new multi-platform marketing campaign created in partnership with Maximum Effort, a production company led by actor Ryan Reynolds.
The campaign, dubbed “If Sports Fans Built a Streaming Service,” consists of a series of 15 and 30-second national spots and digital display ads, featuring former NBA player Kevin Garnett and veteran NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez.
The commercials are portrayed as comedic sketches that highlight features of Fubo’s service, such as the My Stuff page. Another ad mentions that Fubo recently received the top ranking in J.D. Power’s Customer Satisfaction among Live TV Streaming Providers report.
“The reason Maximum Effort believes in Fubo is it’s the one product that captures the best of cable and the best of streaming, while having the very meaningful differentiator of live sports,” Reynolds said in a statement. “While cable fights cord-cutters and streaming services fight the cash content war, Fubo is building an experience and suite of services that can win.”
Fubo struck a first-look deal with Maximum Effort last summer. The partnership includes a blind scripted deal for the forthcoming Maximum Effort linear channel, and Fubo has the ability to obtain third party financing for the channel’s original content.
“In a time with seemingly endless options, our new brand campaign shows what sets Fubo apart as a must-have for sports fans,” stated Pamela Duckworth, head of Fubo Networks and originals.
Programming-wise, Fubo recently added Bally Sports regional sports networks to its lineup, which was followed by price increases to its subscription plans. However, Fubo last month lost access to a number of CBS local channels, after some CBS affiliates decided to opt out of an existing carriage agreement between Paramount and vMVPDs. Reports of a new carriage deal from Paramount suggest the CBS affiliate stations may eventually return to Fubo.