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Is Tubi Going To Start Charging?

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Tubi is only one of many free streaming services, but it is also one of the best. It is so good, in fact, that some might be wondering if Tubi is going to start charging a monthly subscription cost?

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This is a fair question and especially considering that most other streaming services keep increasing their prices. Curiosity Stream, Max, Paramount Plus, Peacock, Starz, and YouTube Premium, are just some of the subscription services that have already increased their prices in 2023.

When it comes to Tubi, no, the service currently has no plans to start charging users. Tubi is 100% free and there are no suggestions that’s due to change any time soon. Tubi makes its money through the use of ads and this strategy seems to be working out well for the service.

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In Tubi’s own words, “the ad content pays so that you don’t have to.”

In spite of being so reliant on ads, we’ve found the ad load to be very light, and even when compared to other free services, including Pluto TV.

Not only is Tubi free, but it doesn’t require users to provide any payment details at all. In fact, users don’t even need to create an account if they don’t want to. While we would recommend creating one to get access to additional features that make the Tubi experience even better, you can use Tubi for free and without signing up.

So long as nothing changes, we don’t see any reason for users to worry about Tubi beginning to charge for a subscription in the future.

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What if Tubi changes owners?

Of course, there is always the possibility that Tubi could be sold in the future and its new owners may take a different approach, including charging users.

At present, Tubi is owned by Fox Corporation. Fox originally purchased Tubi back in 2020, and there are no indications that Fox has any plans to sell the service any time soon.

If anything, Fox seems to be doubling down on Tubi. Prior to the the change of CEO in July of 2023, Fox announced the launch of a new Tubi Media Group. This business oversees Tubi and some of Fox’s other digital businesses.

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Considering Fox seems to be further investing in the Tubi brand through the new Tubi Media Group, all indications point to Fox viewing Tubi as a greater asset than even before. Something that would further suggest that Fox doesn’t have any plans to sell Tubi.

As we’ve learnt multiple times in the past, however, nothing is ever guarantied in the world of streaming, so anything’s possible. Assuming no unknown and dramatic changes are on the horizon, we expect Tubi to remain 100% free for the foreseeable future.

John Finn

By John Finn

John started Streaming Better to help consumers navigate the live TV streaming and subscription service landscape. John has been editing and writing about technology and streaming for online publications since 2014, and believes the best streaming approach is to rotate between services as needed.

John's preferred live TV streaming service right now is YouTube TV although he does tend to switch live TV services multiple times each year to keep up to date with their changes. Outside of live TV, John also actively streams HBO Max (for the shows), Peacock (for Premier League), and Paramount Plus (for Champion's League). However, John is also currently subscribed to Apple TV+, Discovery+, Hulu, Starz, Showtime, and Shudder.

Contact John via email at john@streamingbetter.com or say hi on Twitter

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