Rupert Murdoch is going against Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ in the UK, with the launch over here of the Tubi streaming service.
Over five years since he sold his 21st Century Fox empire – including the much-missed 20th Century Fox film studio – to Disney, Rupert Murdoch is having another bash at the movie market. Well, sort of.
In the US, his Fox Corporation has owned a service by the name of Tubi, that has been doing battle with Netflix and its ilk for the last few years. Tubi has just shy of 80 million users a month, with its key attraction being that it’s completely free. The money comes from advertising.
The plan now is to launch the service in the UK, and it’ll be bringing with it – according to the blurb – some 20,000 films and TV series. Tubi has licenced films and shows from the likes of Sony, Universal, Lionsgate and – ironically enough – Disney. It sounds as though Rupert Murdoch might have bought back access to the library of material that he sold off. The circle of life right there for you.
The official blurb – as per Tubi’s own announcement – reads optimistically. “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” are the words of CEO Anjali Sud.
It’s certainly a curious time to launch a new UK streaming service. When the market appears to be heavily saturated, and with the free streaming sector already not shy of competition.
Still, Anjali isn’t discouraged.
“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 service can be found at www.tubi.tv, although when we go there at the moment, we’re met with the American site. Expect that to change in due course.
