In two separate potential deals, Fox is in talks to buy ad-supported streaming service Tubi, while Comcast’s NBCUniversal is close to buying Vudu from Walmart, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the discussions. US-based retailer Walmart started thinking of selling Vudu late last year, after buying it in 2010 for USD 100 million. Both Fox and NBCUniversal hope with the acquisitions to attract people who don’t want to pay for streaming subscriptions.
Tubi carries reruns of television shows and movies and could be valued at over USD 500 million, the sources said. The service runs content from Warner Bros. Entertainment, Paramount Pictures and Lions Gate Entertainment, and is available on streaming devices such as the Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV and Roku, as well as Sony and Samsung televisions. It is available in the US, Canada and Australia.
Vudu, which lets people buy or rent movies or shows, launched a free, ad-supported service in 2016. The talks with NBCUniversal, though advanced, may not result in a deal, the sources said, without disclosing any financial figures. Comcast was reportedly in talks late last year to buy Xumo, another ad-supported streaming platform.
Vudu would serve a complement to Peacock, sources said. NBCUniversal’s new streaming service will include an ad-supported version priced at USD 4.99 per month, an ad-free version at USD 9.99, and a more limited, free version with ads. The service will debut in April to Comcast and Cox Communications customers and to all consumers in July. Walmart says Vudu is installed on more than 100 million devices across the US.
