Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corporation has entered the UK’s competitive streaming market with Tubi, a free, ad-supported video streaming platform. Tubi will compete with major services like Netflix, Disney+, ITVX, Channel 4’s streaming platform, and BBC iPlayer.
Tubi has been rapidly gaining market share in the US, boasting nearly 80 million monthly active users, according to Fox. In the UK, Tubi will offer over 20,000 films and TV series, featuring content from major studios like Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Additionally, the platform will include a variety of British, Indian, and Nigerian content.
UK viewers can access Tubi through its website and a smartphone app. "Tubi has spent the last decade perfecting our approach to vast, free, and fun streaming in North America, and we believe now is the perfect time to bring that formula to UK audiences," said Tubi CEO Anjali Sud.
Fox Corporation acquired Tubi in 2020 for $440 million (£348 million) as part of its strategy to attract younger audiences. Recently, streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ have introduced ad-supported options and increased subscription prices to boost revenues and expand their content libraries.
In March, Rupert Murdoch's TalkTV network announced it would stop broadcasting as a terrestrial television channel and switch to an online-only service. The network, launched in 2022, struggled to attract viewers on its linear platform. Murdoch had hoped TalkTV would challenge established broadcasters with its opinion-led format.
Rupert Murdoch has significantly influenced the UK's broadcasting landscape, notably by launching Sky in 1984. Some commentators view TalkTV as Murdoch's attempt to replicate his previous success with Sky. In 2018, Murdoch's 21st Century Fox sold its 39% stake in Sky to Comcast, the owner of NBCUniversal, after losing a bid for control of the network.
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