Tubi is a Fox Corporation-owned American over-the-top entertainment platform and ad-supported streaming service. The service, which is situated in San Francisco, California, was launched on April 1, 2014. It had 33 million monthly active users in January 2021.
What Is Tubi TV?
Tubi is a free streaming service that provides on-demand material such as TV shows and movies as well as live streaming channels.
Tubi generates revenue by inserting adverts and commercials into the material in exchange for the lack of a monthly subscription.
Tubi does not develop its own content.
It instead relies on thousands of hours of programming from studios such as MGM, Paramount, and Lionsgate.
The company, which was founded in 2014 and is located in San Francisco, also services Canada and Australia.
FOX announced the acquisition of Tubi for $440 million in 2020.
It had around 25 million monthly active users at the time of the acquisition, according to a Los Angeles Times story.
How To Watch Tubi TV
Tubi may be accessed via a conventional internet browser, making it accessible to most devices that can connect to the internet.
It does, however, have native apps for phones, tablets, streaming devices, and smart TVs that may improve your viewing experience.
Content
Originals
Tubi will launch a slate of original programming in late 2021.
The service will include 140 hours of original animation, documentaries, and programming from a variety of genres.
TV Shows
Tubi’s top series include “Alias,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “The Carol Burnett Show.”
However, the majority of their television programs are light entertainment, such as “Duck Dynasty,” “Storage Wars,” “Kitchen Nightmares,” or “The Masked Singer.”
There are also some vintage shows like “ALF,” “Fantasy Island,” “The Beverly Hillbillies,” and “The Flying Nun.”
Movies
It contains some high-quality films, but the most are low-quality schlock.
Standouts at the time of writing include “American History X,” “Cast Away,” “RoboCop,” “Three Kings,” “The Perfect Storm,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” and a number of James Bond films.
Many well-curated genres are available, including anime, action, religious, humor, LGBTQ, romance, and sci-fi & fantasy.
There are also more serious categories like as cult classics, Rotten Tomatoes favorites, and “not on Netflix.”
Long video snippets with white noise are hidden gems, allowing you to listen to and watch rain, fireplaces, or fireflies.
Exercise videos, travel shows, and stand-up comedy performances are all available.
A film’s commercial breaks occur approximately every 25 minutes.
Features
There are no parental controls.
Tubi does not have any parental restrictions.
Parental controls are available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount Plus, Peacock, SHOWTIME, and STARZ.
Ads
Users should expect brief advertisements before and during their viewing experience.
Live News Feature
Tubi does provide live news channels, but not on all devices.
You can get news by using Amazon Fire, Android mobile, Android TV, Comcast/Xfinity, Cox, iOS (iPhones only), Roku, Vizio, or Xbox devices.
The channel lineup is subject to change, but may include channels like
- NBC News NOW
- NewsNOW from FOX
- Newsy Top Stories
- Black News Channel
- Bloomberg TV
- Cheddar
- Bloomberg Quicktake
- FOX SOUL
- CBC
- Estrella News
- Euronews
- Pattrn
- WeatherNation
- PeopleTV
- fubo Sports Network
- Fox 5 New York
- News 12 New York
- Fox 11 Los Angeles
- KTVU Fox 2- San Francisco
- Fox 32 Chicago
- Fox 29 Philadelphia
- Fox 4 Dallas-Ft. Worth
- Fox 5 Atlanta
- Fox 26 Houston
- Fox 5 Washington DC
- New Hampshire (WMUR)
- Fox 10 Phoenix
- Q13 Fox Seattle
- Fox 13 Tampa Bay
- Fox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
- Fox 2 Detroit
- WXYZ Detroit – 7 Action News
- Fox 35 Orlando
- News 5 Cleveland WEWS
- Very Pittsburgh by WTAE
- Very Kansas City KMBC
- Very Cincinnati by WLWT
- Fox 6 Milwaukee
- Fox 7 Austin
- Very Oklahoma by KOCO
- Very Alabama by WVTM
- Very Nola by WDSU
- FOX13 Memphis (WHBQ)
- FOX23 Tulsa (KOKI)
- Very Omaha by KETV
What is the Price of Tubi?
Tubi is a free service, however it is ad-supported, meaning users must watch four to eight minutes of advertisements per hour of content.
This compared to approximately 12-to-13 minutes each hour for cable and broadcast television.
Tubi, unlike other AVOD providers, does not provide an ad-free version for an extra monthly fee.
It is not necessary to register.
Unlike some of its competitors, Tubi does not require you to create an account in order to view the material.
Simply go to TubiTV.com, select some video, and enjoy the show.
It’s actually that easy.
Tubi, on the other hand, provides a free sign-up process that may improve your user experience.
Making an account with the service allows you to start a queue of content to view and then resume watching from where you left off later.
This may be especially useful if you start viewing something on your phone and want to continue it on your television.
Apps and Devices
It features a mobile app for both Android and iOS smartphones.
This is applicable to phones and tablets.
These devices can also cast app content to a television.
Tubi is accessible via the following streaming platforms:
- Roku
- Apple TV
- Google Chromecast
- Xbox One
- PlayStation 4
- TiVo
- Xfinity X1
- Android TV
- Cox Contour
- Amazon Fire TV
- Xbox Series X
- PlayStation 5
It also works with Sony, VIZIO, and Samsung smart TVs.
Content Available To Stream on Tubi
It is particularly interested in movies and television shows.
While some recent content is available, many viewers may find the total collection to be a little obsolete.
That is, I believe, one of the consequences of not paying for the content.
Popular Films
Knowing that major studios like as Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate are producing content, I assumed there would be a good selection of films.
There are a lot of well-known actors on the streaming site.
The movies accessible on this service change frequently, so act immediately if you see one you like.
- Air Force One
- Annie
- Die Hard
- Hidalgo
- John Henry
- Mrs. Doubtfire
- Notting Hill
- P.S. I Love You
- The Maze Runner
- The Perfect Storm
Popular titles like Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2, Teen Wolf, The Aviator, Maid in Manhattan, and Major League have already appeared on the service.
Popular TV Shows
You’ll find a decent amount of reality TV series if you have access to the A&E television library.
If you’re not into that kind of substance, you could discover that many of the TV shows fall short.
As of May 2022, the following TV shows were accessible on Tubi:
- Duck Dynasty
- Hell’s Kitchen
- Storage Wars
- The Dick Van Dyke Show
- Unsolved Mysteries
- Alf
- The Beverly Hillbillies
- I Dream of Jeannie
- Bewitched
- 3rd Rock from the Sun
- The Johnny Carson Show
- Alias
- Friday Night Lights
- 24: Legacy
Dog the Bounty Hunter, American Pickers, and The Apprentice have all previously aired on the service.
Tubi Live TV
Tubi now offers free live channel streaming, following in the footsteps of free streaming competitors such as Pluto TV.
This live streaming content is divided into two categories: sports and news.
The following news channels are available:
- ABC News Live
- NBC News NOW
- LiveNOW from FOX
- FOX Weather
- Newsy
- WeatherNation
The sports channel options include:
- Fox Sports (Note: This is not the regional sports networks now known as Bally Sports.)
- NFL Channel (Note: This is not the NFL Network.)
- MLB Channel (Note: This is not the MLB Network.)
- Stadium
- PAC-12 Insider
- USA TODAY SportsWire
Tubi for Children
If you have children, Tubi could also be a source of entertainment for them.
In fact, provides one of the better options of free children’s material.
You may change the Tubi experience to “Tubi for Kids” from the main menu on the app or website, and then let them loose to explore material chosen just for children.
Some well-known names in the animation world include The Flintstones, Kung Fu Panda, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Original Content
Tubi’s collection of original material is one of the areas where it has recently demonstrated the biggest growth.
FOX followed through on its plan to expand that collection following its acquisition of the platform in 2022.
There is now a section of the site dedicated to movies created exclusively for it.
On the app, I discovered around 50 movie titles under the “Tubi Originals” option.
While they are not always award-winning productions, they do feature some well-known performers such as Bruce Willis and William Baldwin.
Tubi TV User Experience
Aside from content possibilities, one of the main concerns about using a free streaming service instead of a service like Netflix is the possibility of a reduction in user experience quality.
How Bad Are the Commercials?
To better understand the commercial experience, I sat down to view a few different sorts of movies on Tubi. The first was an animated picture I watched via Roku. I was surprised to discover that my first commercial break did not occur until approximately 40 minutes into the film.
That looked almost too good to be true, so I started to track the advertisements in the next film. I used my laptop computer to view a two-hour movie. Here are the results for the ads:
Movie Commercial Breakdown
| Time of Commercial | Number of Ads |
| 22:26 | 2 |
| 40:21 | 3 |
| 56:47 | 2 |
| 1:13:33 | 3 |
| 1:34:06 | 3 |
Five rather brief commercial breaks in a two-hour period sounds adequate for a free service.
Here are a few other things I discovered about the advertising that you might find useful:
- During all five commercial breaks, I saw the same Sam’s Club commercial featuring Olympic runner Usain Bolt.
That was inconvenient, but I figured out how to solve it.
There is a I in the bottom-right corner of the screen that you can touch for more information on the advertisement.
- Another difficulty I encountered with the advertisements was their unpredictability.
With some other free services, such as IMDb TV, you can see small notches on the progress meter that indicate an impending commercial interruption.
Tubi, on the other hand, randomly inserts them into the content.
- When you’re in a commercial break, you may see how long it will be until the program returns.
A little circular graphic with the word “ad” appears in the lower-left corner of your screen.
A red progress bar wraps around the circle as the advertisements play, as shown below.
The material resumes once it returns to the top.
How to Get Free Movies and TV Shows from Tubi to Watch Offline
Love Tubi’s thousands of free movies and TV series but detest the ads?
PlayOn allows you to download and watch hit movies and episodes from Tubi on any device on your schedule, even when you’re not connected to the internet, and it automatically skips advertisements as you watch.
Tubi can be recorded using the PlayOn Cloud Mobile Streaming DVR App.
PlayOn Cloud is a mobile software for iOS and Android devices that allows you to record and download from streaming services such as Tubi.
Start recording from your mobile device from anywhere, and we’ll tell you when it’s finished.
Recordings will be temporarily saved in a free cloud “locker” and will be available for download from any device at any time.
Simply download the app from Google Play or the App Store, navigate to the show you want to record on Tubi, and press the record button.
The software is free to download and use; all you have to pay is a little cost each recording.
How to Download and Watch Free Tubi Movies and Shows Without Ads
STEP 1: Get free recordings by downloading and installing PlayOn Cloud.
To begin, download and install the PlayOn Cloud app for iOS or Android on your smartphone.
Make a free account and begin your Free Trial to receive your first five recordings for free.
STEP 2: Locate and choose the Tubi show(s) or movie(s) you wish to download.
Tap the Tubi channel from the Channels bar, then search for or browse to the Tubi show or movie you want to download.
STEP 3: Press the Record button.
Select the desired title(s) and press the Record button.
STEP 4
Save the recording on your device.
PlayOn captures video in real time.
When your recordings are finished, they will be available in the Recordings tab.
Your recordings will be available for offline viewing at any time.
You can watch your Tubi recording on your device or cast it to your TV using a Roku, Chromecast, FireTV, or SmartTV if you download it to your device.
When you watch, you can choose to automatically skip the advertisements!
Once your Tubi video has been recorded, you can:
- Use the PlayOn Cloud app to download your Tubi shows to your iPad, iPhone, Android phone/tablet, or computer to watch from anywhere, at any time.
- When watching, skip the commercials.
- Watch Tubi whenever you want—even when you’re not connected to the internet!
You may now watch free Tubi movies and series without having to sit through advertisements. This is how streaming should be done.
Devices that are supported
Tubi is likely to be supported by any (modern) device that can connect to the internet. The streaming service is available through your computer browser as well as a mobile app for both Android and iOS. It is also available on streaming devices and operating systems.
Tubi is compatible with the following devices:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Apple TV
- Google Chromecast (Google Cast)
- Roku
- Android TV
- iPhone/iPad
- Android Phone/Tablet
- Mac
- Windows
- PlayStation
- Xbox
- LG Smart TV (AirPlay)
- Samsung Smart TV
- Sony Smart TV
- VIZIO Smart TV
Tubi does not work with Nintendo devices.
The User Interface
Tubi’s user interface is simple and easy to use across all platforms.
The homepage is simple and contains a plethora of information categories from which to pick.
I discovered that accessing the menu bar at the top left of the screen is a great shortcut for avoiding excessive scrolling on the web version of Tubi.
You’ll also note that the search bar is conveniently located immediately above the menu.
The app experience is a little unique.
You can browse by categories and search for topics, but you must do it from the bottom of the screen, as seen below.
The “Leaving Soon!” section was one of my favorites.
Because free services like Tubi offer content that comes and goes, I believe it is beneficial to create a specific location where consumers can get a “last opportunity” to watch a show or movie before it is removed.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Tubi TV
Has any of the accessible content piqued your interest?
Here are some pointers for watching it on Tubi TV:
- Create an optional account:
Tubi does not require you to sign up in order to use the product, but the perks are undoubtedly worth it if you want to use it frequently.
You will be able to create a queue of content to view, resume where you left off on a stream, and receive personalized content recommendations.
- Take use of the various streaming options: I was pleasantly delighted to find that the user experience on my laptop, phone, tablet, and streaming device was fairly consistent.
There was no degradation in streaming quality, user interface, or anything else.
- Increase the length of ad breaks:
One of my major gripes was that you never know when an advertisement might appear on this service.
When it does appear, though, one of the benefits is that the length of the commercial break is somewhat predictable.
If you need to leave the room while watching material, you’ll have 60-90 seconds to do so once the adverts begin.
Tubi TV’s Advantages and Disadvantages
Still debating whether or not to add Tubi TV to your streaming options?
Consider the following advantages and disadvantages: Pros and Cons of Tubi TV
Pros
- FREE!
- Content from major motion picture studios
- App and web streaming alternatives that are simple to use
Cons
- The content library is a little out of date.
- There is no way to predict commercial breaks.
FAQs
Is Tubi TV truly free?
Is Tubi truly unrestricted? Yes! Tubi is a legal (and free) video streaming app. To keep our service free and legal, we incorporate advertising that monetise the content provided by our partners, such as MGM, Lionsgate, and Paramount!
What Tubi channels are available for free?
News on Tubi, which was first available on Android, Amazon Fire TV, and the Roku® platform, includes content from FOX Television Stations, NewsNOW from FOX, FOX SOUL, Bloomberg TV, NBC News NOW, PeopleTV, CBC, WeatherNation, Cheddar, Altice USA’s News 12 New York, fubo Sports Network, and Black News Channel.
How does Tubi make Money?
Tubi TV generates revenue from advertising.
Commercials appear when flipping between content or while watching a video.
As a general rule, four to six minutes of advertisements are included in every 60 minutes of video programming.
As a result, the ad load is far lower than on regular (linear) television.
Is Amazon the owner of Tubi?
Tubi is a Fox Corporation-owned American over-the-top entertainment platform and ad-supported streaming service.
Is Tubi TV illegal?
Tubi is a 100% secure and legal streaming service.
It’s not like other sites, which provide a few — frequently dubious — links to a small number of movies and TV shows.
It is lawful, does not display pop-up adverts or security warnings, and does not reroute you anywhere.
What does Tubi stand for?
tubiform is a combining form for tube in compound words.
Is there a local channel on Tubi?
It will carry approximately 100 local station feeds and cover 58 defined market locations by 2021. More stations will be added in the coming year, according to the business.
Conclusion
While you may not be able to locate the most recent and cutting-edge content, Tubi TV is worth serious consideration if you want to enjoy streaming entertainment without paying a monthly fee. There is no original content, but thousands of hours of material from major content producers are available. It is a simple product to enjoy on your own terms due to its ease of use and lack of a need to sign up.
