Fubo will broadcast its free streaming channel over the air
Fubo will broadcast its free streaming channel over the air
The Fubo Sports channel is coming to broadcast TV in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and other major markets.
Fubo may be one of the best-known alternatives to traditional cable on the market, but that doesn’t mean it’s totally abandoned over-the-air (OTA) broadcasting. The service owns and operates a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel that’s available to watch on its service, as well as on The Roku Channel and Tubi, but viewers will soon have another way to watch it as well: via OTA antennas. Fubo has announced that it will soon begin distributing its FAST channels on broadcast TV in over 100 markets in the United States.
Key Details:
- Fubo’s FAST channel will soon be available to 12 million OTA households.
- The channel offers combat sports, poker tournaments, and more.
- Fubo is on track to merge with Hulu + Live TV in the coming months.
The Fubo Sports FAST channel is already available to some viewers and is continuing to roll out in markets like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. More than 12 million households are due to have access to the channel over the air, making it accessible to watch with nothing more than an antenna.
“In today’s connected and competitive media market, it’s important to reach consumers everywhere they are, whether that be through streaming or traditional platforms,” Fubo executive Pamela Duckworth said. “While cord-cutting is continuing to accelerate, there are still millions of American households who rely on OTA for sports, news and entertainment. Expanding distribution of our owned & operated linear Fubo Sports network to OTA stations maximizes accessibility for consumers while also creating a new revenue stream for Fubo.”
Fubo Sports streams more than 600 live sporting events every year, focusing mainly on combat sports, offering Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), ProBox TV, and The Professional Fighters League (PFL). It also streams World Poker Tour events, analysis and highlights shows, and more.
The move to OTA distribution for the Fubo Sports channel mirrors the actions of teams like the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans, which have switched to primarily OTA distribution models in recent years as regional sports networks falter. Fans are circling back to OTA channels as a cheap way to watch major sports, and some teams are trying to meet them there to maximize their audience reach.
Fubo will likely see even bigger changes in the near future. The service is due to merge with Hulu + Live TV in the coming months — and will be primarily owned by Disney. When that happens, Fubo will launch new streaming products while keeping the existing live TV streaming platform rolling.
Fubo
Fubo is a live TV streaming service offering a robust lineup of approximately 150 premier channels, with plans starting at $63.99 per month. This entry-level package provides access to local broadcast affiliates 18 of the leading 35 cable channels channels, and valuable regional sports networks (RSNs).