A New Channel, a New Market
In a rapidly changing TV environment, one North Haven-based company is turning to a loyal fan base for its next potential growth story. Triple-B Media, a fast-growing streaming network, has just launched Bark TV, a channel dedicated to all things dogs. “What we are really doing is super-serving a fan base,” said co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer Brendan Canning. “It didn’t take a whole lot to figure out that dog owners are very enthusiastic about their dogs. We felt that there was an opportunity to launch a dog channel for dog owners, dog lovers.”
A Proven Model
Most of Triple-B Media’s offerings are FAST channels: free, ad-supported streaming TV. The company was formed in 2021 by two former ESPN execs, Canning and his partner, Anthony Bailey. Triple-B doesn’t produce content itself, but partners with content producers through joint ventures or revenue-sharing agreements. This model has been successful so far, with Billiard TV, Triple-B’s flagship channel, seeing a 63% year-over-year surge in viewership in 2024. Billiard TV’s average watch time per session was 80 minutes, and it ended the year with 65 million unique viewers.
A Live and Local Approach
So, what’s behind the success of Billiard TV? According to Canning, it’s the live content. The company produces over 1,000 hours of live content each year, with 150 live days and 20-25 multiday tournaments. “We do well over 1,000 hours of live content a year on that channel,” said Canning. “In 2025 we have 150 live days, and we’ll do somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 to 25 multiday tournaments ranging from Las Vegas to Vietnam to Italy — all over the world.”
A Competitive Market
The FAST marketplace has rapidly expanded over the last three to four years, with over 2,000 channels available to viewers in the U.S. However, this has also led to a scramble for distribution space, with all channels competing for a limited number of slots. “When we started this, it was all about quantity, right?” said Bailey. “More channels, try to get as many eyeballs, and try to get as much market shelf space. We have matured and learned that you have to have content that has an audience that is very dedicated to it.”
A Focus on Niche Content
Triple-B Media has shifted its focus from its original 12 channels to its six most successful properties. This has paid off, with the company hitting profitability for the first time in the middle of 2024. “We have found, with the other channels that we started that we have shut down since, that it’s good content, it looked well, but it didn’t do well because you just didn’t have that built-in, rabid, tribal group of people,” said Bailey.
A Changing Market
The TV landscape is undergoing significant changes, with the decline of cable and the rise of subscription streaming. The latter has led to a retrenchment in investment, with many major players raising prices and incorporating ads into their offerings. The scramble for FAST channels reflects this reality. Viewers are getting used to the idea of free, ad-supported streaming, and are happy to put up with ads if they can get content for free. “The supply of channels has gone through the roof,” said Canning. “The shelf space offered by the smart TV companies has not expanded, meaning that all of these additional channels are left fighting for distribution.”
A New Distribution Model
To combat this, Triple-B Media is taking a different approach with its new channel, Bark TV. Instead of relying on the traditional shelf space on streaming TV infrastructure, it’s offering Bark TV over the air – literally, to houses with broadcast antennas. “We’re in over 80 broadcast markets at the moment,” said Canning. “Eight out of the ten top markets in the country. We’re in New York, LA, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix. So, we took a little bit of a different distribution approach to Bark.”
Exit Strategy
The company’s headcount remains small, with 12 employees, eight of whom are based in Connecticut. Despite this, Triple-B Media is open to an exit strategy, with both partners saying they’re willing to consider selling the company in the future. “I think if anybody’s in the content business like this, you have to always be open to an exit,” said Bailey. The company’s focus on innovative distribution models and niche content is paying off, with Triple-B Media hitting profitability in 2024. As the TV landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how the company adapts and grows in the future.
