FuboTV Hires Mike Berkley, Formerly With Axios, Spotify and Comcast, as Chief Product Officer
FuboTV, the over-the-top live TV streaming provider, has tapped technology veteran Mike Berkley as chief product officer.
Berkley joins the company effective immediately, reporting to FuboTV CEO David Gandler. As chief product officer, Berkley will lead product strategy and development for FuboTV across platforms, including connected TVs, mobile and web.
Berkley most recently was chief product officer at digital publisher Axios, and has served in similar roles at MoviePass, Spotify, Viacom and Comcast in addition to founding two tech startups.
FuboTV is vying against bigger competitors including YouTube, Hulu and Dish’s Sling TV. The company reported 455,000 paid subscribers at the end of the third quarter of 2020 (up 58% year-over-year), posting revenue of $61 million and a net loss of $274 million for Q3. FuboTV launched an IPO in October after merging with FaceBank Group, a tech company that creates digital likenesses of celebrities and sports stars.
“One of our goals is to leverage data and consumer insights to build a more sophisticated live TV streaming platform that integrates video content and interactivity,” Gandler said in a statement. “Mike has the right skill set to help get us there — he’s led product development for some of the world’s biggest media companies while also building from scratch entirely new businesses for companies, like Spotify, and as a tech founder.”
Berkley commented that FuboTV is “well-positioned to accelerate growth by introducing new product experiences that take advantage of our sports-first content offering, proprietary platform and renowned video tech. The potential for casual gaming and wagering as part of the live sports viewing experience is especially compelling. I love the company’s ambition.”
Prior to joining FuboTV, Berkley spent nearly two years as CPO at Axios. Before that, he led product management for six months at the now-defunct MoviePass service, after spending three years at Viacom as SVP of product management overseeing multiplatform technology platforms used by Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, BET, Spike, TV Land and CMT.
From 2012-14, Berkley was VP of product management at Spotify, where he was tasked with creating a new video-based business. At Comcast from 2010-12, he led the operator’s Silicon Valley product team and helped launch the company’s flagship Xfinity X1 entertainment platform. Earlier in his career, Berkley founded SplashCast, a startup that created social video apps for media brands, and QMind, an e-learning company.
FuboTV first launched in 2015 as a soccer-streaming service, before expanding to add more general entertainment and news channels to the virtual pay-TV service. After merging with FaceBank, FuboTV appointed Edgar Bronfman Jr., former chairman/CEO of Warner Music Group, executive chairman.
More from Variety
FuboTV Sets Rate Hikes as TNT, TBS, CNN Go Dark -- With ESPN, Disney Nets Coming in August
FuboTV Had About 316,000 Subscribers at End of 2019, Discloses Select Financial Data
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
