FuboTV has expanded distribution of its new 24-hour sports network to Roku Channel.
Roku said last week that it now has 30.5 million regular users of its OTT ecosystem, with many of them regularly tapping into the ad-supported Roku Channel.
New York-based startup FuboTV launched in 2014 and built a virtual MVPD platform. The vMVPD business quickly became saturated, and the company is pivoting to a 24-hour digital news model. It's a similar model to that established by Jon Steinberg’s Cheddar, which was purchased by Altice USA in April for $200 million.
UPDATE: A FuboTV rep told MCN the addition of the 24-hour sports network represents an "expansion" to the vMVPD business, not a pivot away from it.
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FuboTV, which has raised $151.3 million to date, is in the process of building out Fubo Sports Network’s programming base, which will mainly be in-studio and highlight shows for the foreseeable future. The network was already available on the FuboTV vMVPD service, as well AVOD platform Xumo and smart TV ecosystem Samsung TV Plus.
“The early interest in Fubo Sports Network from distribution partners who see value in exclusive sports programming has been truly gratifying. We are building the best new talent-driven sports network, and we look forward to getting it in front of audiences everywhere,” said Min Kim, VP of business development for FuboTV.
