On Monday, I discussed the long-term prospects for Tubi.
On Tuesday, I praised Issa Rae's influencer marketing venture.
"On today", these items converged: Issa partnered with Tubi for their new "Stubios" program—a fully-funded incubator for emerging creators.
Stubios mirrors our initiative at BlackOakTV. Our "Choice" feature will empower users to greenlight the Black TV shows and films they want to see, illustrating the potential of fan-driven projects. While Tubi leverages its Black Indie vertical's success, we aim for similar engagement at BlackOakTV. So I respect Stubios model, but I question Issa’s choice to align with Fox Corp., Tubi's parent company.
A Brief History Lesson:
In the '90s, Fox, then a lesser network, adopted a strategy targeting Black audiences with original programming like Living Single and Martin, which became instant classics. These shows boosted Fox’s ratings, enabling it to secure NFL rights in 1994. Almost immediately after rising to prominence, Fox dropped its Black-centric shows.
The revenue and prestige from Black viewership and NFL games helped launch Fox News in 1996, an outlet that has since posed significant challenges for Black communities.
Present Day:
Tubi has been thriving off indie Black projects. Fueled by popular content and the viral power of platforms like TikTok, Black viewership is propelling Tubi’s growth, again benefiting Fox financially.
Don't buy that Tubi is all that important to Fox?
Well, during Fox's last earnings call, Tubi was mentioned 24 times, nearly as often as the Fox name itself.
So what does this have to do with Issa?
Issa is partnering with Fox to bring more diverse (read: Black) voices to Tubi. I commend her for the thought, as I'm sure her intentions are pure. And when you can marry business with your passion for Black people, life is great. I know this because I live it every day with #BlackOakTV.
But Issa once said, "I'm rooting for everybody Black."
Yet, this move ain't that!
This move is helping Fox run an old trick that allows Rupert Murdoch's Fox, which I believe is more responsible for Black plight than any other modern major media company, to further its highly questionable agenda.
And they need Tubi to do it!
The Fox Network is less relevant than it's been in decades. Fox News is going the way of the dying cable business. Fox Sports is irrelevant. Even TMZ is struggling.
Instead of letting this decaying company go by the wayside, Issa is lending her credibility to the asset most linked to Fox's future.
And she shouldn't do it.
The value generated by Tubi still goes to the Murdochs, and there's no telling what crazy thing they'll use it to invest in next. My guess is it won't be something that empowers Black people.
I know the world isn't perfect, and we, including myself, can't always line up our beliefs with our work.
However, when it's this obvious, I believe we can and should make better choices. And I hope in the end, Issa does just that.
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