Tubi Funds 10 Long-Form Series From 12 TikTok Creators

By Elena Vasquez

Tubi will invest in 12 TikTok creators developing 10 original long-form series through the announced Creatorverse Incubator. Tubi and TikTok introduced the partnership together. The program gives creators an opportunity to develop original long-form series for Tubi, based on their TikTok content. Its stated aim is to expand their reach to new audiences.

What does the Creatorverse Incubator fund?

Tubi will provide the investment for the 12 selected creators. TikTok is the originating platform and a partner in the initiative. The 10 series span four genres named in the announcement:

• Animation
• Horror
• Reality
• YA (young adult)

The 10-series slate draws from a 12-creator cohort; the announcement does not disclose one-to-one assignments.

Kudzi Chikumbu, VP of Creator Partnerships at Tubi, said:

“The creators we’re working with have built a following, a point of view and a body of work that people come back for.”

“The Incubator is where we come in as their partner, giving them the creative freedom to grow what they’ve started. We’re proud to support them as they create their first TV shows, making ambitious work they may not otherwise be able to make and growing beyond the audiences and formats that had previously defined them.”

The incubator combines financial backing with creative support, although the announcement gives no investment amount, episode orders, production budgets or premiere dates for the 10 projects. The program’s core proposition is simple: Tubi supplies investment while creators retain creative freedom.

Who joins the first cohort?

The inaugural cohort includes 12 creators. The announcement names four of the 12 and identifies each through a TikTok handle:

• Marc Sebastian (@marcsebastianf)
• Kendria Bland (kendria_bland)
• Yasmine Sahid (@ladyyasmina1)
• Lynnell Jones Jr. (@felleanimated)

Additional creators are included under the phrase “and more,” without individual names in the announcement. Selection rests on three qualities identified by Kudzi Chikumbu: an audience following, a distinct point of view, and a body of work that people repeatedly return to. His account gives audience loyalty, creative identity and repeatable work practical weight in the selection. The first cohort is identified through TikTok followings and recognizable bodies of work.

Which series are already outlined?

The announcement describes two of the 10 planned series:

• “Kai Picks The Guy” is a dating show hosted by Kai Cameron (@kaicameronisacelebrity). Three men arrive expecting to date a female contestant. Instead, they face one-on-one “dates” with Kai and discover they are the ones being vetted.
• “A Great Australian Gay Sidequest” follows Sebastian as he heads down under to explore “some of Australia’s unique tourist experiences.” The announcement does not specify which creator is associated with Sebastian.

One project turns a familiar dating-show expectation inside out, while the other carries a creator-led travel premise across Australia’s unique tourist experiences for audiences on Tubi. The two concepts extend creator-led dating and travel into long-form Tubi programming.

What does TikTok expect from the partnership?

Dawn Yang, TikTok’s Global Head of Entertainment & Microseries, said:

“TikTok is where creators build passionate communities around their work and connect their stories with audiences around the world.”

“We’re excited to see these creators bring their unique perspectives to original series on Tubi. Their communities on TikTok show just how much people connect with creator-led storytelling, and this partnership gives them another way to share their work with new audiences.”

Yang’s statement positions TikTok communities as an existing audience for the new Tubi originals. The partnership places Tubi’s financing behind stories that have already found an audience on TikTok, with creators retaining their recognizable perspectives inside the longer format. The announcement gives no release dates or episode orders. The next test is whether TikTok communities follow these creators into Tubi’s 10 long-form series and remain for complete episodes.