Tubi has added 800 Just For Laughs comedy specials and episodes to its Canadian service, a licensing win that gives the Fox-owned free streamer a deep, ad-supported comedy shelf.
What the deal includes
The package spans stand-up and sketch. Stand-up titles include Dave Merheje: I Love You Habibi, Hasan Minhaj: Adult Boy, Howie Mandell: Don’t Sneeze On Me, Jeff Dunham @ JFL: Volume I and II, Rick Mercer: Raise a Little Hell, Tiffany Haddish Top of the World, Trevor Noah @ JFL: Volume I and II, and Will Forte Time of My Time. Series include Just for Laughs Gags, Funny As Hell, Just Kidding, and LOL Just for Laughs Sketch Show.
Tubi’s content acquisition and partnerships team, led by Sam Harowitz, handled the licensing arrangement. Alonso Carrillo brokered the deal for Tubi with Véronique Bussières of the Just For Laughs Group.
Why catalogue depth matters
For Tubi, a free service, catalogue is the product. A large, familiar library reduces the need to persuade Canadians to try yet another subscription. It gives the platform repeatable formats—hidden-camera bits, stand-up specials and sketch episodes—that suit short sessions and background viewing, both useful for ad-supported economics.
“Just for Laughs has a rare ability to bring Canadians of all generations together through the power of comedy,” said Gave Lindo, Tubi’s Vice President and General Manager of Canada.
Just For Laughs also arrives with four decades of brand equity. Carlos Pacheco, Director of Digital Revenue and Distribution at Just For Laughs, called the franchise “where Canadians discover their next favourite comedy.” That familiarity lowers the cost of convincing a viewer to press play.
What it means for planners
For media planners, the move is a reminder that AVOD—ad-supported video on demand, where viewing is free and advertising funds the service—is building depth, not just reach. Three implications stand out:
- Frequency tool: familiar comedy clips can hold light viewers and support reach campaigns without a subscription barrier.
- Audience targeting: the Just For Laughs brand skews broad and multi-generational, useful for family and general-entertainment campaigns.
- Future scale: Fox expects its $22B Roku acquisition to close in the first half of 2027, even with a DOJ probe described by a senior Fox executive as “entirely expected.”
The bigger streaming picture
The agreement lands as free, ad-supported services compete for local catalogue that makes them feel less like a pile of old episodes and more like a destination. By tying itself to a well-known Canadian comedy institution, Tubi is leaning on recognition rather than volume alone.
For Canadian advertisers, that matters because AVOD supply is growing, but distinct, familiar inventory is still scarce. A recognised franchise can turn reach into actual viewing time.
Source: Deadline
