Tubi, owned by Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation, unveils its service to UK users, aiming to be available on all major connected TV platforms in the coming weeks.
- Ad-supported service already attracts over 80 million monthly users in North America.
- Latest attempt by Murdoch’s business to gain traction in the UK TV market, after selling Sky and closing TalkTV.
- UK launch includes 20,000 movies and TV shows on-demand.
The Murdoch media empire is seeking to shake up the UK broadcasting and streaming industry by rolling out free streaming service Tubi.
Unlike Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video where viewers have to pay a subscription even for the ad-supported tier, Tubi is entirely free.
A marketing campaign targeting UK viewers will get underway on 15th July. The free Tubi app will rollout across the majority of connected devices in the coming weeks. Through tubitv.com, UK viewers can already sample the service.
The ad-supported service is part of Murdoch’s Fox Corporation and marks a further attempt by the media mogul to regain some dominance in the UK broadcasting and streaming industry. Since selling Sky to Comcast in 2018, Murdoch’s business empire has been growing its presence on radio, with the likes of Times Radio, Virgin Radio and TalkSport. A venture back in to TV proved less successful, with TalkTV closing and going online only at the end of April.
Tubi has already built momentum in the USA and Canada by engaging viewers with a free, personalised streaming service that offers an extensive library of blockbuster movies, popular TV series, and exclusive Tubi Originals. With nearly 80 million monthly active users, Tubi has emerged as the fastest growing US streaming service since its debut on the Nielsen Gauge just over a year ago.
What will be available on Tubi?
Tubi says it’s launching “with over 20,000 movies and TV episodes on-demand”, featuring curated content from major global distributors such as Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, plus a “robust slate of exclusive Tubi Originals”.
Movies that already appear on the Tubi UK website include The Twilight Saga films, Kill Bill vol 1 and 2, Alcatraz and Magic Mike.
UK-made reality and lifestyle shows include Stephen Fry in America, Great British Menu, Location, Location, Location and Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites.
Tubi also includes a range of true crime shows, adult animation, anime, Nollywood and Bollywood movies, plus Westerns.
Where is Tubi available in the UK?
Tubi is available via free Android and iOS app, plus an app on “every major connected TV platform”.
Rollout of the app on connected TV will follow during the course of the “coming weeks”.
Tubi has declined to provide more details at this stage. However, the US version is available on Roku, Xbox, Amazon Fire, Apple TV as well as on cable TV platforms. Sky and Virgin Media haven’t commented yet on future availability.
- If your device doesn’t yet have the Tubi app, you can visit tubitv.com. You’ll need to register a free account. Tubi allows users to sign in via an existing Google (Gmail) account.
Corporate comment
Anjali Sud, CEO of Tubi commented:
“Tubi has spent the last decade honing our approach to vast, free and fun streaming in North America, and we feel that now is the perfect time to bring that recipe to UK audiences. We are launching with one of the largest and most diverse content libraries in the UK, designed to indulge viewers in everything from blockbusters to original stories to hidden gems. Most importantly, we’re committed to listening to what resonates with UK fans, and bringing them more and more of what they love.”
Analysis: Potential disruptor making use of streamers sublicensing content
The already highly competitive streaming market is about to become even more competitive.
Established streamers have already resorted to offering ad-supported tiers with lower subscription prices. Now Tubi threatens to offer streamers a completely free ad-supported service, with content from big names like Disney, NBCUniversal (owned by Comcast) and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Cash strapped households may welcome this extra choice, Netflix and co won’t.
Tubi is set to make the most of some of the biggest Hollywood studios and media organisations sublicensing more of their content to others.
For a time, all big media companies effectively locked out other companies from showing their content, as they built up their own content libraries delivered on their own streaming platforms.
As streaming growth has slowed and companies have racked up debt developing streaming services, these same companies have sought to sublicense more content to third-parties to provide an extra income stream. The BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4 Streaming already contain a variety of shows sublicensed from US media giants.
The end result is that, like on traditional broadcast TV, streamers will have two choices. Either subscribe to a big-name streamer to watch exclusive content first, or wait until a free streamer gets the rights.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: Tubi/Fox Corp