Whether you pay for TV or not, there’s no reason why you are not also using the free streaming service, Tubi. This is regardless of whether you have cut the cord or are a current cable and satellite customer. If you have access to a streaming device with app support, then Tubi should already be installed on that device. Here’s Why.
Tubi launched back in 2014 and since then has continued to grow in popularity. In February of this year, the service announced it now has more than 25 million monthly active users. That level of regular use is not by accident or coincidence, it is a result of what the service offers – free tv shows and movies. Furthermore, the number of monthly active users is only going to continue to increase throughout 2020, as more people continue to look for alternatives to the escalating costs of TV access, both streamers and traditional TV viewers, alike.
Is Tubi really free?
Unlike some services, it is 100 percent legal to stream content for free through Tubi, and the service is able to offer access for free by relying totally on an AVOD approach. In other words, the service employs ads before, during, and after content, and they cannot be skipped. While this is not going to appeal to some users, this is free content, and although Tubi is not the only service to offer free access, it is different to alternatives like Xumo and Pluto TV.
For one thing, Tubi does not feature any live channels. This also means there’s not much need for additional features, such as cloud DVR. Instead, users simply have a Netflix-like experience with access (at all times) to all of the content available on the service – for free.
To highlight the free point further, and while some may argue that data collection is an additional hidden cost (it is), Tubi does not even require users to sign up to the service. While users can create a free account if they want, they don’t have to. Whether or not you have an account, you still get access to the same amount of content, with the same level of interrupted ads.
Tell me more: What does Tubi offer?
Tubi is very similar to the Netflix experience without the originals. For example, the entire catalog is made up of a random selection of shows and movies with users able to filter by genre to find what they are looking for.
In reality, many users might be surprised at just how much content is available through a free service. While the movie and TV show selection might not contain as much new content as paid-for services, we’re not talking about one or two episodes of a show here. In some cases, the services offer access to every episode of a show. To highlight two examples, for fans of either Haven or Merlin, it looks like every episode from all five seasons are currently available to stream.
Of course, the lineup will change over time and so these particular shows might not be available whenever this is being read, but they are not the only examples – they’re just examples in general.
Further adding value is the dedicated Kids section. Once accessed, the user is redirected to a contained version of Tubi where the entire catalog is made up of content that’s suitable for kids. This Tubi within Tubi makes the streaming service as ideal for younger viewers, as older ones.
What’s more, the service is available on a variety of platforms so there’s very little reason why you should not be able to access the service. To highlight just a few, Tubi can be streamed on mobile phones, tablets, games consoles, as well as TV-based platforms, including Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.
Owners of smart TVs from select brands will also find they can directly install the Tubi app on their TV, without the need for additional devices.
The bottom line
Overall, Tubi is not going to blow your mind, suddenly change the way you view TV, or immediately cause you to cancel all of your subscriptions. That’s not the point. The service is free, does not require you to even create an account, and does contain some shows and movies you won’t find elsewhere at the moment.
Tubi should be viewed as a compliment to your existing TV lifestyle (whatever that may be), and that’s the main takeaways here. Regardless of what you currently pay for, there’s no reason why Tubi should not be added as an additional entertainment option to your home setup. The worst-case scenario is that you don’t often find much to watch and therefore don’t use the app very much. However, even in that worst-case scenario, Tubi costs you nothing.
On that basis, there’s nothing to lose by installing Tubi and giving the streaming service a try. Well, other than free TV shows and movies, but that’s on you.
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