Podcast Summary: Next in Media – “How Tubi is Embracing Creators - and Trying to Shake up Streaming”
Release Date: August 5, 2025
Host: Mike Shields
Guest: Rich Bloom, EVP and General Manager of Creator Programs and Business Development at Tubi
Introduction
In this episode of Next in Media, host Mike Shields engages in an insightful conversation with Rich Bloom, the recently appointed Executive Vice President and General Manager of Creator Programs and Business Development at Tubi. The discussion delves into Tubi’s innovative strategies to integrate digital creators into their streaming platform, aiming to revolutionize the streaming landscape.
Rich Bloom’s Background and Role at Tubi
Rich Bloom brings a wealth of experience from his tenure at Vimeo, where he served as the General Manager of Vimeo Ottoman. With a strong background in working with creators and independent filmmakers, Bloom’s transition to Tubi marks a strategic move to bridge the gap between traditional streaming and the burgeoning creator economy.
Quote:
"Our main focus the last few months since joining has been conceptualizing and launching this program called To Be for Creators. The idea behind this is we're working with native digital creators and giving them a path to Hollywood that allows them to elevate their careers, elevate their businesses."
— Rich Bloom [02:21]
Tubi’s Position in the Streaming Landscape
Tubi stands out in the competitive streaming market with over 100 million monthly active users and a vast library encompassing 300,000 movies and TV episodes, including 400 originals. The platform captures approximately 2.2% of the total U.S. TV viewing audience, with a significant portion consisting of Gen Z and millennial viewers—70% of whom are cord-cutters or cord-nevers.
Quote:
"We have a really diverse young audience. Over half our audience is Gen Z and millennial. Almost 70% are cord cutters and Cord Nevers."
— Rich Bloom [02:41]
Tubi’s success is further bolstered by its AI-driven programming, which ensures that content recommendations are tailored to individual viewer preferences, enhancing engagement and satisfaction.
Integration of Creator Content: "To Be for Creators" Program
At the heart of Tubi’s strategy is the "To Be for Creators" program, designed to collaborate with digital creators to produce original content tailored for the streaming platform. This initiative not only provides creators with funding and resources but also offers them an avenue to reach broader audiences beyond traditional platforms like YouTube.
Quote:
"We're really betting on creators and believe there's a wide variety of creators that are a fit for 2B and a fit for streaming platforms."
— Rich Bloom [15:25]
Since its inception just six weeks prior to the interview, the program has rapidly onboarded 50 creators and amassed over 5,000 episodes of content, signaling strong initial performance and audience engagement.
Success Story: Sideline
A prime example of the program’s potential is Sideline, an original series adapted from a popular Wattpad novel and starring Noah Beck, a prominent TikTok star looking to transition into acting. The show has surpassed all previous originals in terms of viewership, attracting both fans of the novel and Beck’s substantial TikTok following.
Quote:
"Sideline was the most successful original we've ever had. It brought in more new viewers than any title we've ever had."
— Rich Bloom [07:38]
The viral clips from Sideline on TikTok created a "viral loop," continuously driving new viewers to Tubi and demonstrating the effective synergy between social media popularity and streaming content.
Strategy and Content Creation
Tubi’s approach emphasizes creative freedom and minimal prescriptiveness, allowing creators to maintain their unique voices while benefiting from Tubi’s support. The platform leverages its extensive library to complement creator content, fostering a seamless blend of traditional Hollywood offerings and innovative creator-driven series.
Quote:
"We're very hands-off in terms of creative freedom and make bets on creators that are performing well."
— Rich Bloom [16:23]
By focusing on genres that resonate well with Tubi’s audience—such as coming-of-age stories, black entertainment, and thrillers/horrors—the platform ensures that the new content aligns with viewer interests while exploring experimental formats.
Brand Involvement and Opportunities
Tubi envisions substantial opportunities for brand partnerships within their creator ecosystem. Brands can engage by sponsoring the Creator Verse, purchasing inventory directly within creator content, and integrating products seamlessly into the narratives. This strategy not only provides brands with targeted inventory but also enhances the viewing experience through branded content and product integrations.
Quote:
"We're creating a full ecosystem with creators. It's really this library of the best of the best of creator content in a really brand safe, curated environment."
— Rich Bloom [21:56]
Additionally, Tubi plans to explore funding original productions and incorporating native integrations, offering brands innovative ways to connect with audiences.
Future of Television and Streaming
Bloom discusses the convergence of traditional TV and digital creator content, highlighting that the distinction between short-form and long-form content is becoming increasingly blurred. He emphasizes Tubi’s commitment to longer-form content (15-20 minutes and up) while maintaining flexibility to adapt to evolving viewer preferences.
Quote:
"The line between creator content that's on YouTube and traditional content is getting blurrier and blurrier."
— Rich Bloom [10:13]
While acknowledging the potential for more interactive and community-driven features in the future, Tubi currently focuses on delivering high-quality, brand-safe content that caters to diverse fandoms.
Unique Offerings and Conclusion
Tubi’s extensive library allows it to serve a multitude of unique fandoms, from mainstream classics like Murder, She Wrote to niche original series such as Lesbian Homie by creator Big Jaw. This diversity not only attracts a wide range of viewers but also fosters passionate communities around specific content genres.
Quote:
"We thrive on serving these really diverse fandoms, and that is something we're going to continue to do and really a big part of our secret sauce of what's true in our growth."
— Rich Bloom [26:33]
In conclusion, Tubi is strategically positioning itself at the intersection of traditional streaming and the creator economy, leveraging robust AI-driven recommendations, an expansive content library, and innovative creator partnerships to redefine the future of media consumption.
Quote:
"We're in a unique position to offer that and that's really the path we're focused on."
— Rich Bloom [24:08]
Notable Quotes:
-
"Collaboration is a new competition. The One Audience alliance by Elemental TV unites premium publishers to tackle CTV's biggest challenge, fragmentation."
— Mike Shields [00:00] -
"We have a really diverse young audience. Over half our audience is Gen Z and millennial. Almost 70% are cord cutters and Cord Nevers."
— Rich Bloom [02:41] -
"Sideline was the most successful original we've ever had. It brought in more new viewers than any title we've ever had."
— Rich Bloom [07:38] -
"We're very hands-off in terms of creative freedom and make bets on creators that are performing well."
— Rich Bloom [16:23] -
"The line between creator content that's on YouTube and traditional content is getting blurrier and blurrier."
— Rich Bloom [10:13] -
"We thrive on serving these really diverse fandoms, and that is something we're going to continue to do and really a big part of our secret sauce of what's true in our growth."
— Rich Bloom [26:33]
This episode offers a comprehensive look into how Tubi is leveraging the creator economy to enhance its platform, engage diverse audiences, and create a sustainable model that benefits creators, viewers, and advertisers alike. Rich Bloom’s insights reveal a forward-thinking approach that could set new standards in the streaming industry.