The news: TikTok is partnering with free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service Tubi to identify TikTok creators to spearhead original Tubi series.

• The “Creatorverse Incubator” partnership will promote shows created by TikTok personalities on Tubi across both scripted and unscripted formats.
• Creative direction will be largely led by the creator; Tubi will also have oversight.
• Tubi plans to announce an initial lineup of creators this summer; TikTok will use its Spotlight feature, which helps boost streaming content, to encourage fan engagement.

The partnership builds on Tubi’s push toward creator-made series. The platform already offers more than 16,000 episodes created by about 200 creators.

The trend: Creators, traditionally restricted to social platforms, are gradually moving toward long-form, on-screen programming.

• Netflix premiered “The Influencer” in 2024, a reality show competition starring social media creators.
• Hulu debuted “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” that same year, a show that chronicles the lives of TikTok personalities.
• YouTuber MrBeast partnered with Amazon Prime Video in late 2024 to produce TV series “Beast Games,” while another YouTuber, Ms. Rachel, struck a licensing deal with Netflix a month later.
• Peacock launched four scripted shows made by creators in May 2025.

TikTok is also building on an emerging trend of audiences turning to social platforms for premium content by promoting Tubi’s creator-led programs with Spotlight. More than half of US adults who use TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram watch clips from TV shows and movies on these platforms at least weekly, per CivicScience—driving the shift toward episodic, polished content.

Implications for marketers: Creator partnerships are no longer just influencer posts on social media; they now extend into content and IP partnerships on TV. For brand marketers, this indicates a need to think beyond social campaigns and toward full-funnel entertainment partnerships.

The TikTok-Tubi partnership could be a particularly compelling opportunity for marketers because of the growing potential of FAST platforms. FAST will surpass half of US CTV users in 2026, and sentiment is improving because users are more willing to accept ads in exchange for free content. The partnership stands to create new opportunities for advertisers to align with creator-led content in a lower-cost, ad-supported CTV environment.