• Loading stock data...
Saturday, June 28, 2025

FuboTV Subscribers Show Appetite for Content Other Than Live Sports

  • FuboTV subscribers are consuming more hours of television, as high as 8.5 hours per day, during the pandemic.
  • Streaming service has relied on entertainment options to retain users while sports slowly return.
Photo Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

FuboTV’s subscribers come for the sports and stay for the entertainment. But it is the latter that has helped the multichannel video programming distributor retain users amid the absence of most live sports.

The average monthly hours watched by subscribers are now up over 140 during the coronavirus pandemic, according to CEO David Gandler. That’s compared to 129 at the end of December and just 50 hours of television consumed at the beginning of 2019.

FuboTV typically measures hours watched by subscribers every 30 days. But Gandler noted that average viewership has peaked at 8.5 hours per day with families quarantined at home. Users are additionally watching content across 19 channels compared to 10 before the coronavirus pandemic.

“That should indicate to you that streaming services need to have an enormous amount of content to keep subscribers engaged,” Gandler said during Credit Suisse’s 22nd Annual Virtual Communications Conference, Wednesday. “That’s why I believe aggregation wins over the long haul.”

That means larger bundles – or channel options available within single apps – will ultimately attract more subscribers to streaming services. Roughly one-third of all of FuboTV’s streaming offerings cannot be found on other MVPD services like YouTube TV, Gandler said.

However, YouTube TV or even Sling TV are not FuboTV’s biggest competitors, at least not at this point.

Gandler refers to those companies as peers, while FuboTV’s real rivals are traditional cable companies like Comcast or Verizon Fios. Combined, the cable industry still controls the lion share of the consumer TV market. About 84 million households in the U.S. still have cable, according to the company.  

“The biggest reason why consumers will cut the cord over the next 12 months is because of price. But then after that, it will be because of the user experience,” Gandler said, adding that FuboTV’s machine learning technology has led to significantly increased hours in viewership via recommendation options.

READ MORE: Digital, Social Media Talent Adjusting To Work From Home

Gandler did not provide an update on FuboTV subscriber count. The streaming service ended 2019 with nearly 316,000 users and revenue of $146.5 million. In a May company shareholder letter, FuboTV said it also expected first-quarter revenue in 2020 to increase by at least 75% year-over-year.

Heading into what should be a busier sports calendar in the coming months, FuboTV will ramp up advertising to draw fans. The company is also committed to creating larger bundles around sports while scaling up entertainment options.

In addition to its standard $54.99 package featuring live sports, FuboTV offers sports add-on subscriptions that include channels like NFL Red Zone, NBA TV, NHL Network, and Tennis Channel.

Most streaming services push some of these acquisition costs down to the customer. FuboTV is also not concerned with the rising cost of sports distribution rights from leagues and media partners.

“We’re not worried about it,” Gandler said. “We launched in 2015 at $6.99 per month. We’re now at $54.99, so almost 10 times higher from where we started, yet we have improved retention and grown subscriber count.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.

Disney’s Hulu Takeover Sets Stage for Deeper ESPN Integration

The ESPN parent company will pay $438.7 million to complete the transaction.
Disney

Disney Sues YouTube for Poaching Exec With Deep ESPN Ties

Disney objects to Justin Connolly’s sudden move to YouTube.

Featured Today

Seattle Rough & Tumble

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.
Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena
June 22, 2025

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Leo Messi

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
June 23, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 19, 2025

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.
Tyrese Haliburton
June 16, 2025

NBA Finals Ratings Up Again in Game 4 but Still Down Overall

More than nine million people watched Games 3 and 4.