Rae’s partnership comes as she also launches Ensemble, a new branded entertainment studio that champions unrecognized artists.
Bring in the brands
Stubios isn’t just for creators and fans—it’s also for brands. Parlapiano said that “active discussions” are being had with advertisers about how they can best reach the prized Gen Z demographic this new platform is designed to empower.
“There are very different habits with this generation across the board when it comes to marketing,” she observed, noting that a traditional 15- or 30-second ad wouldn’t be the ideal Stubios experience.
Instead, Tubi is exploring more “endemic integrations” like featuring a product or service in the preproduction content or via a larger role in the finished film or series.
“It could be one brand sponsor for the whole thing, or it could be on a project-by-project basis,” Parlapiano said. “We’re really interested in brands that are open to trying something and are a bit more social-forward in their approach.”
A desire to reach Tubi’s multicultural audience is another must for any advertiser intrigued by the Stubios platform.
“Diversity is integral to the Tubi audience, and we wouldn’t be serving this audience if Stubios didn’t feature a diverse cohort of creators,” Parlapiano said, also making clear that the program doesn’t exist to tick a DEI box for brands. “What viewers like about Tubi is that they can find stories where they really feel seen. It’s definitely not a one-off initiative.”
Looking ahead, Parlapiano expects each successive Stubios creative cohort to innovate on what’s come before, adding that “the more variation we have, the more we’re set up for success.”
“The main thing is to not overengineer it,” she continued. “We really want Stubios to be a completely democratized platform where creators and fans are both participating. We’re looking for this to be self-sustaining going forward.”
