Newsmax has appointed Fubo co-founder and CEO David Gandler to its board of directors, the company announced on Thursday.
The move is intended to help expand its leadership as the company strengthens its position in the news and streaming sectors. Gandler has overseen the operations at Fubo since it launched as a soccer streaming service in 2015 and evolved into a sports-fueled cable TV alternative over time.
Fubo is in the process of merging its pay TV business with Disney’s Hulu with Live TV, which recently struck an agreement to start carrying Newsmax.
“David’s achievements as an entrepreneur in the streaming and media industries will bring fresh perspective as we continue to expand our global reach, including through our streaming service Newsmax Plus,” Christopher Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, said in a statement. “His success in building Fubo from startup to a leading operator in the space demonstrates the visionary leadership that will help Newsmax reach new audiences in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape.”
Gandler joins Ruddy and four other directors: U.S. Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta, Ambassador Nancy Brinker, Christopher Nixon Cox and Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky.
“I have long admired and respected Christopher Ruddy and his principled approach to journalism,” Gandler said. “Today’s 24/7 news cycle demands media companies deliver trusted information rapidly and through multiple distribution channels. I look forward to working with Chris and his board of directors to unlock new opportunities for Newsmax that will deepen audience engagement and accelerate growth.”
Separately, Newsmax announced on Thursday that it has partnered with enterprise artificial intelligence solution Veritone to help it market and monetize its content library.
Through Veritone’s Digital Media Hub (DMH) application, Newsmax will gain the ability to fully utilize its vast content library across internal operations and commercial licensing.
“This partnership marks a pivotal chapter for Newsmax’s operational and commercial strategy,” said Sean King, the Chief Revenue Officer and General Manager of Veritone Commercial. “By leveraging the capabilities of DMH and our licensing solutions, Newsmax can turn its archive into a dynamic asset, fueling audience engagement and revenue growth.”
Veritone’s technology and licensing expertise will allow Newsmax to create new revenue streams while expanding access to its content for viewers and business partners. The collaboration highlights the company’s broader push to innovate at a time of rapid digital transformation in the media industry.
Newsmax earned more than $46 million in overall revenue during its most-recent financial quarter, based largely on higher cable news ratings and stronger interest in ad spending from marketers. The cable news channel usually ranks in fourth place, and primarily competes against Fox News, CNN and MSNBC. Newsmax also operates its own direct-to-consumer streaming service, a free streaming channel called Newsmax 2 and several print publications.
