• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, April 4, 2023

Vice Media, generally considered to have a left-of-center content slant (home page headline sample above), is producing eight original documentaries for exclusive U.S. distribution by Tubi, Fox Corp's free, ad-supported streaming (FAST) platform.

Vice Distribution will retain rights to the documentaries outside of the U.S.

Beverly Chase, vice president of current programming at Vice News, will oversee the partnership with Tubi.

“Vice has a longstanding reputation of award-winning investigative storytelling and we’re excited to expand Tubi Original Documentaries with their expertise," said Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson in the deal announcement. “These original documentaries will raise the curtain and spark conversation on stories that tap into today’s cultural zeitgeist, including ticket scalping, chatbots and the rise of online vigilantism.”

The first documentary, “The Cult of Elon,” focused on controversial Tesla founder/Twitter owner Elon Musk, will debut April 26. “Vigilante,” an examination of online vigilantism, is set for May 6.

Vice Media began seeking a buyer last year for some or all of its assets, reportedly driven by one of its lenders, Fortress Investment Group.

In January, after talks with some potential buyers faltered, Vice reduced its price, according to CNBC. Now, the company, which was valued at $5.7 billion in 2017, may sell for under $1 billion.