Fubo has announced an integrated marketing partnership with The Athletic which will see the virtual pay TV company’s brand and video content positioned across the New York Times-owned sports-focused digital platform.
The Athletic’s first marketing partner from the video streaming world, Fubo content will be integrated into the sports site’s live game blogs, with future plans to put it into preview articles, newsletters and product sections of the sports site. The two sides also pledged their intention to co-develop new features for The Athletic.
Neither side would discuss exactly what Fubo content would be available on The Athletic, nor would they disclose any monetary details about the arrangement. The announcement did say the two would work together to provide engaging content experiences “through custom in-content modules that will feature relevant game information.”
For its part, Fubo started out as a live streaming destination for soccer fans a decade ago and has morphed into a broader virtual MVPD (vMVPD) that markets itself as a packager of live channels for sports enthusiasts, bundling ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports and NBC Sports, among other sports-focused networks.
Fubo has been aggressive in seeking marketing partnerships with pro sports teams, including those from Major League Baseball.
The Athletic partnership is designed to drive sports enthusiasts from the Times’ fast-growing sports platform to sign up for one of Fubo’s four live-streamed pay TV tiers, which start out at $60 a month for its lowest-cost plan under an introductory price, which increases to $80 after the first month.
Fubo is going head-to-head against the fastest growing company in pay TV, YouTube TV, which counts powerful entities including the NBA among its marketing partners.
And it could use any help The Athletic might provide. Fubo ended its second quarter in June with 1.45 million North American subscribers, down from 1.51 million in the first quarter, but up 24% from 1.16 million paying customers at the end of the second quarter of 2023.
Fubo, which has hovered just above junk trading waters since its stock peaked at nearly $50 a share way back in early 2021, reported a net fiscal Q4 loss of $26.7 million, versus a loss of $50 million a year prior.
Purchased by the New York Times for $550 million in 2022, The Athletic wants to build a holistic sports platform that blends myriad content elements, including live video, to the UX.
The Athletic has entered into other recent marketing partnerships, including one with eBay to power a sports collectables business, as well as another with BetMGM for gambling. Still another marketing tie-up was signed with StubHub for online event ticket sales.
In its Q2 earnings report in early August, the Times said subscription revenue for The Athletic was up 19.4% to $29.3 million, with ad revenue up 30% to $7.1 million.
"This partnership brings together The Athletic's unrivaled sports journalism and Fubo's dynamic live content, enhancing the way fans engage with sports. Together, we are committed to building a deeper community of sports enthusiasts, providing the best coverage and creating immersive new experiences for fans at both the local and national levels,” said Sebastian Tomich, chief commercial and development officer for The Athletic, in a statement.
Article updated to reflect Fubo ended its second quarter 2024 with 1.45 million paid North American subscribers and Q2 2023 with 1.16 million. A previous version incorrectly stated the periods as Fubo's fiscal fourth quarter.