This week, low-cost, skinny bundle streaming service Frndly TV reported details from the first quarter of 2022, showing a jump in ad revenue and viewership numbers. As reported by NextTV, the low-cost streamer saw a 63% uplift in total time spent on the platform when compared with the same period in last year. Frndly TV also claimed hours spent on the service grew 15% year-over-year, when viewed through a per-subscriber lens.
The service focuses on providing channels that include positive, family-friendly content. While the platform doesn’t carry any sports, news, or local channels, Frndly TV has a host of general entertainment options both live and on-demand.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with our year-over-year growth in viewership, ad impressions and ad revenue,” Frndly TV’s head of advertising sales Steve Sklar told NextTV. “This is a reflection of the quality of Frndly TV’s premium CTV product, which is extremely brand safe, and our highly engaged audience. Our growing programmatic advertising business has also benefited from an expanded base of demand partners and advertisers who appreciate Frndly TV’s feel-good content.”
The new numbers follow previous reports showing Frndly TV had over 500,000 customers following Q4 2021, which is certainly impressive for a company that only has about 40 people on staff. Indeed, running a lean ship has been core to the firm’s success to date.
“We achieved profitability in 2021 by focusing on growing our subscriber base and diligent management of our cost structure across the business,” said Andy Karofsky, Frndly TV co-founder said in the NextTV article. “Now, we’re increasing our focus on building our second revenue stream of ad sales to add to our profitability. Between our rising subscriber base, our offering of add-ons, and now our growing advertising business, we have three solid streams of revenue to continue driving Frndly TV’s profitability.”
Frndly TV’s growth can also be attributed to its push to add more channels. The company rolled out 17 additions in 2021, including Hallmark Channel and CuriosityStream. Another six have also been introduced this year, including Heroes & Icons and Story Television.
Frndly TV
Frndly TV is a live TV streaming service with over 40 channels for $7.99/month. Each plan is designed to provide a skinny bundle of family-friendly channels at a reasonable price. The service will appeal most to fans of Hallmark channels. It does not offer news, sports, or local channels.