Tubi bets on engagement over reach as free streaming gets more crowded

Tubi is arguing that keeping viewers engaged, not simply reaching more of them, will decide which free streaming services last.

Adam Lewinson, chief content officer at Tubi, made that case June 17 during an on-stage conversation with Alison Browser of The Ankler at the StreamTV Show in Denver. He described a content strategy organized around fandoms, original programming, children’s content and live events.

He framed engagement as the next phase for a service that has already built scale.

“The next evolution of the journey is about quality and engagement,” said Lewinson.

The remarks came days after a change in ownership for Tubi’s parent.

Fox Corp. said June 15 that it would acquire Roku for $160 a share, a cash-and-stock deal that values Roku at about $22 billion in enterprise value. The companies said the combination would pair Fox’s sports, news and entertainment content and Tubi with Roku’s connected TV platform and The Roku Channel. Fox BusinessFox Corp Investor

From scale to engagement

Lewinson noted the harder task now is holding attention rather than winning it. He contrasted Tubi with the open-ended scrolling common on social platforms, saying viewers arrive intending to watch something specific rather than to pass time.

That focus, he said, has guided the service since its early days, when he expected the future of streaming to be free, ad-supported and on-demand.

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Fandoms over mass audiences

Lewinson traced his approach to an early job at Lifetime, where he learned to program for a clearly defined viewer. Streaming, he said, surfaces enough daily data to identify those patterns at scale and to see what specific groups of fans are looking for.

A large catalog alone is not the point, he said.

“It’s not just enough to have the content,” said Lewinson.

The strategy, he said, uses original and high-profile titles to draw fans in, then keeps them watching through related programming the company maps out for each audience.

A younger, multicultural audience

Lewinson said at least 60% of Tubi viewers are Generation Z or millennial members, and about half identify as multicultural.

“We’re getting this younger, multicultural audience who’s looking for a different type of storytelling,” said Lewinson.

Lewinson pointed to children’s programming as one area of increased investment.

He said his own children grew up watching familiar characters on YouTube rather than on dedicated children’s services, a shift he said pointed to demand for free, long-form family content in one place.

He said the service carries more than 300,000 movies and TV titles, and that the company sees room to add long-form children’s content to that mix.