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Tubi will get a big boost from a free Super Bowl broadcast: Fox is looking to grow its FAST service with free access to the big game.

Fox Corp. Q3 fueled by political ads and Tubi growth: Live sports and news strategy drives gains, with digital ads growing.

In part one of this two-part podcast episode, we discuss some medium-term predictions that are too specific to be 100% certain about but could still come true, including: why the sentiment towards GenAI might turn, what to expect from Google鈥檚 new consent workflow now that it is not phasing out third-party cookies from Chrome, and why Tubi might be about to leapfrog Hulu, Disney+, and Peacock. Tune in to the discussion with host Marcus Johnson, and analysts Ross Benes, Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and Max Willens.

Can Tubi break into a tight UK streaming market? The Fox-owned service launched in the UK last week hoping to capitalize on a turn toward cheaper streaming options.

he streaming service is expected to bypass the video-centric social media giant by 2026. Nonetheless, Netflix use is influenced by social media: 45% of Gen Zers choose what to watch based on trending content, according to Tubi.

Tubi is making gains. Over a 12-month period, Tubi鈥檚 share of total time spent with TV increased from 1.4% to 2.1%, per Nielsen data. Of the services Nielsen publicly lists in its metrics, only YouTube gained more share during that time. More subscribers are opting for ad plans. Most streaming sign-ups are now ad-supported, according to Antenna.

Ad-supported viewing is the default for free services like Tubi and Pluto TV. And most Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock, and Paramount+ viewers choose ad plans. But fewer than one-fourth of Netflix viewers are ad supported, and most Max and Disney+ viewers are ad-free, too. Taken together, viewing patterns don鈥檛 always translate to advertising patterns.

鈥攚hich owns Tubi鈥攕aid that Prime Video鈥檚 ad launch 鈥渃aused a lot of other streamers to really fight hard for their revenues and drop pricing鈥� while 鈥淭耻产颈 did not have to.鈥�. While The Roku Channel is included in the preceding chart, Roku generates ad revenues in other ways, including by selling inventory on behalf of streaming services included on its platform.

Tubi has been doing well of late, surpassing Peacock and Paramount+ among others in streaming viewership. Its free, ad-supported model, diverse content, and focus on younger viewers fuel its appeal. Tubi recently launched in the UK, entering a competitive market dominated by Amazon and Netflix.

In April 2024, Tubi and The Roku Channel each accounted for more than 1.0% of total TV viewing time. Tubi registered the largest, with 1.7%. FAST ad revenues are poised to expand. In 2025, FAST US ad revenues will reach $6 billion, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Like with premium SVOD services, there鈥檚 fierce competition for viewers from digital players like Tubi, Pluto, Vizio WatchFree+, and others. Google is not a leading US smart TV provider, but its 20 million monthly viewers and YouTube鈥檚 enormous reach still makes it a valuable platform for content providers.

This screen commands the heaviest share of viewer engagement and is addressable via multiple ad channels: linear or live TV spots; ad-supported video-on-demand services such as Netflix, YouTube, and a host of others; and free ad-supported streaming TV (aka FAST channels), including Pluto TV, Tubi, Rakuten, and Roku. Influencers are a key channel for targeting Gen Z.

Tubi will gain significant streaming market share. 鈥淚n a year, Tubi will account for 2.5% of total time spent with streaming and TV as judged by Nielsen," our analyst Ross Benes predicted. This would put Tubi ahead of most major streaming services except YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon. Why it matters: As a free ad-supported service, Tubi has an advantage in reaching viewers.

Tubi. US Census Bureau. YouGov.

The emergence of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels like Pluto TV (whose Canadian distribution rights are held by Corus Entertainment) and Tubi (whose distribution rights are owned by Rogers Sports & Media) is also bolstering time spent with digital video. Listening favors digital audio over radio. Digital audio will account for 56.9% of total time spent with audio in Canada in 2024.

Can Fox turn Tubi into a major streaming brand? The free, ad-supported streaming service is in a strong position to weather a difficult chapter.