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Supply Chains

Fox’s AVOD platform Tubi has commissioned four new, exclusive original films from Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat. The deal, announced on October 28, 2025, is a commission for four creator-led films set to debut in 2026. This is Tubi’s first exclusive content slate under its “Tubi for Creators” program, a key initiative that has accelerated under the leadership of CEO Anjali Sud. The content includes the supernatural thriller “Sundown” (starring Kinigra Deon) and the satirical horror-comedy “85 South: Dead End.” The films will be exclusive to Tubi’s AVOD and FAST platforms.

Tubi, the ad-supported streaming service, is the commissioner and exclusive platform. Hartbeat, Kevin Hart’s multi-platform entertainment company, is the producer. Key executives steering this strategy include Tubi CEO Anjali Sud and Rich Bloom, GM, Creator Programs & EVP, Business Development. “At Tubi, we’re building a space where emerging and established creators can bring bold, breakthrough ideas to life,” said Rich Bloom. The deal was brokered by Sam Harowitz for Tubi and Hartbeat President & Chief Distribution Officer Jeff Clanagan.

For Tubi, this provides exclusive, original films to attract the built-in audiences of digital-native talent. For Hartbeat, it provides financing and a major platform for its roster. This deal is unique as it marks Tubi’s formal move into financing exclusive, creator-driven original films. It is the clear second phase of a strategy driven by Tubi CEO Anjali Sud. Phase one was the “Tubi for Creators” program, which launched in June 2025 with over 500 episodes. That program rapidly scaled, reaching over 5,000 episodes by August 2025 with the addition of top creators like MrBeast, and has now grown to nearly 10,000 titles . This Hartbeat deal is phase two: commissioning exclusive, high-value originals from a top-tier partner and a creator (Kinigra Deon) already in that program.

The AVOD sector’s battleground is original content. Tubi’s AVOD competitor, The Roku Channel, has long commissioned its own originals, including Hartbeat’s “Die Hart 2” (2023). Other comparable deals include Tubi’s own non-exclusive agreements with creators like MrBeast (August 2025) and its launch partnership with Jubilee (June 2025). The competitive implication is that FAST platforms must now compete for creator talent with exclusive financing deals. A likely response is The Roku Channel or Amazon’s Freevee accelerating budgets for similar creator-led film slates.

This deal solidifies a new supply-chain path. In recent days, Tubi seems to have established a two-step model: first, use a broad, non-exclusive program (“Tubi for Creators”) to ingest content and gather performance data from thousands of digital creators. Second, use that data to finance exclusive, high-value commissions from the program’s proven A-listers or performance-winners, bypassing traditional development pipelines.

This deal signals that the AVOD content wars have entered a new phase focused on the creator economy. Tubi is building a scalable pipeline to turn digital-native talent into franchise-level Hollywood assets. Expect Tubi to use these four films as a test case for a much broader commissioning slate, effectively creating a new bridge from YouTube and TikTok to a global streaming platform.