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Watch out Netflix, there's a brand new UK streaming rival in town- and it's free

Introducing Tubi, Rupert Murdoch's ad-funded streamer bulging with content

By Danielle de Wolfe

02 July 2024

There's officially a brand new streaming service in town - and it already has Netflix glancing curiously over its shoulder.

Did we also mention it's completely free? Yeah, that too.

Tubi is what many are claiming to be Netflix's next big rival, vying for position alongside established greats like Disney+, Prime Video and Apple TV+.

Proving that age is but a number, the venture is headed up by 93-year-old billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch - and it's safe to say the service is already raking in good numbers.

Serving up more than 20,000 films and TV shows on-demand, Tubi definitely has the content behind it to give established rivals a run for their money.

Part of that content even comes from its streaming rivals, including Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal and Sony Pictures Entertainment, as well as a slate of Tubi Originals - including reality series House of Heat.

The platform is also set to include a selection of British, Indian and Nigerian content.

UK offerings are set to include a banquet of food content, with shows including the Great British Menu, The Secret History of the British Garden, Paul Hollywood’s Pies & Puds and Mary Berry’s Foolproof Cooking just some of the shows on offer.

new on tubi this month pic.twitter.com/76UR187aZe
— Tubi (@Tubi) July 1, 2024

Having already established itself in the US, Tubi claims it currently has around 80 million active users - tying it with Disney+ where watch time is concerned.

Fox Corporation bought the service in 2020 for $440m (£348m) in a bid to attract younger audiences and give the streaming giants a run for their money.

It comes as things are hotting up in the streaming world, with Netflix announcing a hot new streaming tier that's being lauded as free.

According to a report by Bloomberg, there have been talks about a new streaming tier at Netflix that is subscription free and funded purely by ads - sound familiar, huh?

Anjali Sud, the chief executive of Tubi, said: “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.

"Most importantly, we’re committed to listening to what resonates with UK fans, and bringing them more and more of what they love.”

It comes as Walt Disney and Warner Bros Discovery announced they're set to offer a brand new bundle of the Disney+, Hulu and Max streaming services.

What might be the ultimate streaming collaboration, the new bundle will be available to customers on all three streaming platforms.

Available for free with no subscription required, it's safe to say Tubi is worth a gander.