Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corp launches Netflix rival Tubi in UK

Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation has launched its ad-supported streaming service, Tubi, in the UK.

The platform will compete with services such as Netflix, Disney+, ITVX and Channel 4’s streaming platform as well as BBC iPlayer.

Fox says the service will launch with more than 20,000 films and TV episodes on-demand, featuring content from Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal and Sony Pictures Entertainment, in addition to its own originals.

The Twilight films, starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, the horror film Candyman and the Tubi original reality series House of Heat are among the current offerings.

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.”

Nielsen’s Report of the Gauge claims that in the US, where it has 80m active users, Tubi tied with Disney+ in total viewing time.

Other current offerings in the UK include the Gerard Butler blockbuster Olympus Has Fallen, the Adam Sandler comedy Happy Gilmore and the horror comedy Happy Death Day.

Among the UK offerings are episodes of Great British Menu, The Secret History of the British Garden, Paul Hollywood’s Pies & Puds and Mary Berry’s Foolproof Cooking.

There is intense competition between streaming services, which are battling for market share even as they contend with heavy losses and consumers struggling with the cost of living crisis.

During the Covid crisis streaming services boomed, and companies such as Netflix, Disney and Apple poured billions of dollars into making expensive shows to draw in subscribers. However, as growth has slowed the companies have focused on cutting costs and trying to reach profitability.

Sport and live events have become an increasingly important part of media companies’ output. Netflix will stream WWE wrestling, and Disney is planning to stream live sports from its ESPN network.

Tubi says it is committed to “a 100% free ad-supported model” and has a “low ad load”. Other streaming services have launched lower-cost ad-supported services as they race for subscriptions.

In March, Murdoch’s rightwing news channel TalkTV announced it would stop broadcasting on television after two years on air, switching to an online-only format over the summer. The Guardian