The popularity of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services is continuing to grow. Tubi, which is owned by FOX, is one of the largest providers of FAST channels in the U.S., and the company has announced that, as of Monday, it has surpassed a programming milestone.
Tubi now offers more than 200 channels, with the recent addition of local news stations operated by Scripps, as well as entertainment channels from Lionsgate, FilmRise, and Cinedigm.
“In just two short years, our FAST Channel offering has evolved into a robust and popular pipeline of viewing options across news, sports, and entertainment,” Tubi’s Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson said. “We’re excited to continue delivering a best-in-class streaming experience that combines our massive on-demand library with a large ‘lean-back’ curation of linear channels.”
Tubi has expanded its coverage to a host of different genres, including channels dedicated to single shows.
Among Tubi’s current offerings include channels dedicated to:
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Entertainment Channels (including Tubi Originals): Gordon Ramsay, “Vice,” “The Masked Singer,” “Baywatch,” Game Show Central, TMZ, Supermarket Sweep, Dick Van Dyke, People TV, Bob Ross, Anger Management, Are We There Yet?, “21 Jump Street,” Buzzr, Hi-YAH, “The Johnny Carson Show,” “The Carol Burnett Show” and “Dust.” Newly added channels include FilmRise Black TV, FilmRise Comedy, FilmRiseHorror, FilmRiseTrue Crime, FilmRise Sci-Fi channels, and Maverick Black Cinema.
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News on Tubi: FOX-owned and operated television stations in the top designated market areas (DMAs) including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas alongside stations from Tegna, CMG, NBC, and ABC. In the last month, News on Tubi has also added Scripps channels including local stations in Indianapolis, Baltimore, Tulsa, Omaha, Tucson, Fort Myers, Buffalo, and Las Vegas.
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Sports Channels: FOX Sports, FOX Sports en Español, the NFL Channel, the MLB Channel, PAC-12 Insider, USA TODAY SportsWire, and most recently a FIFA World Cup channel that will carry every 2022 World Cup match on-demand.
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Lifestyle Channels: FOX Soul, Jamie Oliver, Tastemade, Tastemade en Español, Places and Spaces, “The Biggest Loser,” Pattrn, and most recently the home cooking show America’s Test Kitchen.
According to its own internal numbers, total viewing time (TVT) on Tubi’s linear channels has increased nearly 165% year-over-year, and it’s not hard to see why customers are flocking to free TV services in such large numbers.
FAST services like Tubi replicate the channel-flipping experience that customers are familiar with while removing the difficult decision-making process that subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platforms force upon them regarding what to watch next. It also helps that many FAST channels are programmed with familiar, comfortable series that can be viewed a la carte, rather than having to be caught up on multiple seasons to enjoy.
The growth of FAST services isn’t likely to cool down any time soon. The model is working for content providers, advertisers, and consumers, and it’s a sure bet that more companies will attempt to get in on the game, just as they did when the streaming wars began.
Tubi
Tubi is a free video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 200,000+ movies and TV episodes - more than any other streaming service. Its ad breaks are shorter and less frequent than most free services. Fox executives have called their service “TV on steroids.”