Free streaming service set to rival Netflix launches in the UK today

Another streaming service has entered the game

Tubi, which claims to have almost 80 million active users every month in the US, has become the latest video streaming service to launch in the highly competitive UK market.

The platform says it will launch with more than 20,000 films and TV series, including content from Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

It will also feature a selection of British, Indian and Nigerian content.

Some of the big titles currently available on Tubi are the Twilight films, horror movie Candyman, action blockbuster Olympus Has Fallen, cult comedy classic Happy Gilmore, and Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2.

In terms of series, you can find British shows such as Fresh Meat and Great British Menu.

Tubi is free, but is ad-supported, so it's a similar service to platforms such as ITVX and Channel 4.

Brits will be able to access content on the Tubi webpage, via a smartphone app and on smart TVs.

“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,” Tubi chief executive Anjali Sud said.

“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.”

The streaming platform was purchased by Fox Corporation in 2020 for $440m (£348m) as part of the US media giant's efforts to attract younger audiences.

However, some reckon Tubi may struggle to cut through in the UK market due to its lack of original titles.

Speaking to the BBC, Abi Watson, senior media analyst at Enders, said that whilst Tubi had been "very successful in the US" the UK was a "very different media environment".

She highlighted the fact that the service has "little or no unique content" meaning it could struggle to gain traction ahead of platforms such as iPlayer, Netflix and Prime Video.