Jomboy Media is continuing its rapid growth with another major distribution deal, this time joining forces with Tubi to bring its most popular sports programming to the free ad-supported streaming platform. Founded by Jimmy O’Brien and Jake Storiale, Jomboy Media has become one of the most influential creator-led sports brands in digital media with a focus on the sport of baseball.
Its storytelling style, humor, and in-depth knowledge of the game have helped the company develop a community of more than 30 million fans. Now, through Tubi’s platform, shows like Talkin’ Baseball and Talkin’ Yanks will be made available to a larger, more diverse audience. Speaking on the partnership on the latest episode of The Morning Meeting, O’Brien stressed that the deal fits into Jomboy’s strategy of expanding reach without restricting its loyal core audience.
“These deals are really cool because it can lead to more reach,” O’Brien said. “Tubi is free. So, we’re not going behind a paywall. It’s also not going there exclusively or first. That’s what a lot of platforms wanted for a while was like an exclusive show. I don’t think you need to do that.”
O’Brien noted that while Jomboy Media has built much of its following on “active viewers”—those who deliberately seek out the content—the partnership with Tubi allows for new opportunities with “passive viewing.” By being part of a large on-demand library available to more than 100 million monthly active users, O’Brien believes the company can reach casual sports fans who may stumble across their shows.
“Active viewers that are searching you, want to watch you, remember you and become part of your community. Active viewing is the hardest get,” O’Brien explained. “Passive viewing is where you can really grow. We’ve seen this being on YES Network where people are watching the game. Then all of a sudden Jake and I are on their screens at the bars. Tubi can help us grow the same way.”
For Jomboy Media, that balance between growing distribution and protecting its direct relationship with its audience is critical. O’Brien was clear that the partnership with Tubi will not alter the way fans consume Jomboy content on its core platforms like YouTube or podcasts.
“This does not affect you if you’re tuning into us at all besides it should help us grow,” he said. “It’s nice to be sought out with the group of people that are also getting sought out, and it should lead to nice growth. More deals like this would be fun to get our content on other places without hindering our main audience and what we’re doing first.”
The agreement comes as Tubi accelerates its push into creator-led programming. Alongside Jomboy Media, the platform announced partnerships with top digital creators including Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, Alan Chikin Chow, CelinaSpookyBoo, and Steven He. The company said its collection of digital-first creator content now exceeds 5,000 episodes.
Rich Bloom, General Manager of Creator Programs at Tubi, emphasized that these deals are part of the company’s strategy to provide creators with a wider audience. “We’re committed to building a bridge to Hollywood for creators to help them reach new audiences,” Bloom said.
O’Brien said he sees Tubi’s active user base—composed largely of cord-cutters, Gen Z, and millennials—as the right kind of audience for Jomboy Media’s unique sports voice. The free, ad-supported model also aligns with Jomboy’s approach of meeting fans where they are.
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