Tubi – Free TV Streaming Review (2024)

Paying for TV streaming platforms can quickly eat away at your monthly budget, especially if you're subscribed to several. Tubi is a fairly new free TV streaming service that can help lighten the financial load.

Tubi TV is one of the fastest growing streaming services in the United States, and it doesn't cost a dime. So, what's all the buzz about?

Tubi – Company Overview

Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Tubi launched in 2014 as a FAST (free, ad-supported streaming television) service. They operate in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several Latin American countries.

In 2020, Fox Corporation purchased Tubi for $440 million. Since then, the free streaming service has exploded in popularity. Today, they have over 74 million active users.

Pros

• Large library of movies and TV shows
• 100% Free
• User-friendly, modern interface
• Has live TV channels

Cons

• Video resolution capped at 720p
• Lots of ads
• No offline downloads

Highlights

Monthly Price Range: Free
User Profiles: No
Number of Screens: Unlimited
Highest Playback Resolution: 720p
Free Trial Period: Always Free

Why We Like Tubi TV

Tubi TV is quickly becoming one of the most-watched streaming services in the United States, even compared to incredibly popular paid platforms like Max (formerly HBO Max.) According to a recent study from Bloomberg, people spend more time watching Tubi than Max, Peacock, and Paramount Plus.

Well, Tubi is free and features a user-friendly interface, which makes it easy to play in the background while doing other things. And, even though it lacks the latest film releases and original content, Tubi has broad appeal.

Featuring an expansive library of over 50,000 movies and TV shows, Tubi has something for everyone. Tubi's catalog features content from studios like MGM, Lionsgate, and Paramount, as well as networks such as Starz, Lifetime, and A&E.

Tubi's library is constantly updating and shifting, so there's always something fresh to watch. Thanks to a recent deal with Discovery, Tubi even has some HBO series no longer available on Max, like “Lovecraft Country,” “Raised by Wolves,” and “Westworld.”

Many free streaming platforms advertise “live TV” channels, but it's actually just existing content playing on a 24/7 continuous stream. Tubi TV, on the other hand, offers authentic (though limited) live TV with some real news and sports channels.

Since Tubi is free, it relies on ads for revenue. Some capabilities you'd expect from paid streaming platforms are missing, like full-HD video, user profiles, and offline downloads. But, Tubi still has a lot of useful features, especially compared to other free platforms like Pluto TV. For example, you get parental controls and personalized watchlists.

Tubi TV Streaming – How It Works

Tubi TV is an ad-supported streaming service. This means that everything on the platform is free to watch, with no limitations. The only catch is you have to watch ads with both on-demand and live content.

Channels/Categories

Tubi TV offers a nice mix of content that includes recognizable films, mainstream TV series, cult classics, and even some anime. There are tons of genres to choose from, and Tubi does a great job organizing content into dozens of unique categories and collections to help you find the perfect title.

Here are some of the most popular categories:

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Fantasy fans and sci-fi buffs will appreciate the wide selection of films Tubi TV has to offer. There are classics, like the original Ghostbusters, The Legend of Tarzan, and Stargate, along with newer movies like Pacific Rim and Geostorm. Tubi also has the rights to DC films like Aquaman, The Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, and Black Adam.

Award-Winners & Nominees

From dramas like Precious and Beaches to superhero films like The Batman (2022), Tubi has a lot of premium films to choose from. The free streaming platform has some of the best war flicks of all time, including Good Morning Vietnam, Full Metal Jacket, and Hacksaw Ridge.

Some other popular award-winning movies include the baseball dramedy A League of Their Own, Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, and the psychological thriller Hannibal.

Martial Arts

Tubi has a dedicated category for martial arts movies, and there are quite a few – everything from classic martial arts flicks like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to modern films like Ip Man.

You can watch famous Bruce Lee movies like Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon, Jackie Chan movies like Mr. Nice Guy, and Chuck Norris action films like An Eye for an Eye. The John Wick series and Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 are also available to stream.

Cult Classics

If you can't get enough of cult classic movies like the futuristic sci-fi film The Fifth Element or over-the-top action hit Big Trouble in Little China, Tubi has you covered. Other popular cult classic flicks available for streaming include They Live, Idiocracy, Labyrinth, Donnie Darko, and Groundhog Day.

Family Movies & TV Series

Tubi can also help you out if you need a good family-friendly film for the kids on movie night. There are animated classics like All Dogs Go to Heaven and The Secret of Nimh, as well as award-winners such as Paddington 2 and How to Train Your Dragon 2.

Nostalgic kids' movies like The Little Rascals, the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Dennis the Menace, and Where the Red Fern Grows, are also available to watch. Tubi even has some movies from Disney, like White Fang, The Rookie, and Snow Dogs.

As far as kids TV series, there are older cartoons like Scooby-Doo Where Are You?, Tom and Jerry, and The Jetsons, as well as some popular modern shows for all ages, like Yo Gabba Gabba and Masterchef Junior.

Anime

Tubi has a pretty impressive library of free anime series and movies. A few well-known anime movies include Ghost in the Shell, Paprika, and Jin-Roh. Some of the most popular anime series on Tubi are Yu-Gi-Oh!, Naruto, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and Death Note.

Reality TV

Tubi is also home to plenty of reality TV series, some of which are not available on Netflix. For example, you can stream Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen, along with Duck Dynasty. Seasons of The Bachelor are also available.

Home & Garden

If you can't get enough of DIY and home shows, Tubi TV has several series that might interest you. You can watch home improvement shows like This Old House and Project Restoration, as well as entertaining real estate shows like House Hunt and Unreal Estate.

Crime TV

Tubi's Crime TV category contains classics like Columbo, along with modern crime dramas like DC's Gotham. There are also lots of true-crime series, including The First 48, Dog the Bounty Hunter, and A&E's 60 Days In.

British TV

If you're a British TV aficionado, Tubi has a surprisingly large assortment of series from the UK. There's everything from outrageous comedies like Mr. Bean to BBC's psychological crime thriller Luther. You can watch classic Doctor Who episodes, as well as hit crime dramas like Midsomer Murders. There's also the entertaining reality motor series Top Gear and the BBC classic miniseries Pride and Prejudice.

Live TV

Along with channels featuring loops of their owned content, Tubi has some recognizable live TV channels available to watch for free. There are national news channels, like ABC and NBC, as well as live sports from Fox Sports, BeIn, NHL, Fubo, and more.

How To Watch

To watch Tubi, you just need an internet connection and a streaming device, like a smart TV, phone, tablet, or game console. There is no subscription required, but you can opt to sign up for a free account. You will need an account if you want to take advantage of features like parental controls, watch list history, and creating personal queues.

The Tubi app is available for Apple, Google Play, Roku, Amazon, and Microsoft. You can watch from any of these supported devices:

• Amazon Fire TV
• Android phones
• Android tablets
• Apple TV
• Chromecast
• Cox Contour
• iPads
• iPhones
• Playstation 4
• Playstation 5
• Roku
• Smart TVs
• Xbox One
• Xfinity x1

Alternatively, you can also watch Tubi straight from your laptop or desktop computer by visiting the Tubi website through your web browser.

Is Tubi a Smart Choice for TV Streaming?

Overall, Tubi is a great choice if you want to save money on your monthly entertainment bill. Even though it's a free service, Tubi has an extensive library of popular movies and TV shows that rivals many paid services' catalogs. You will have to watch ads, but they are not overwhelming.

Tubi lacks some of the top-tier features you'd find on other platforms, like full-HD streaming, personal profiles, and the ability to download content for offline viewing. Nonetheless, Tubi is an appealing option for budget-conscious viewers.

That said, Tubi is best suited as a supplement to other paid subscription services like Netflix, Disney Plus, or Sling TV – especially if you want a true cable TV replacement. Check out our other reviews of the best TV streaming services to find out which ones give you the most bang for your buck.