Tubi, the free-with-ads streaming service, has beat titans such as Disney+ and Max for average viewership in May. And it may just be the beginning.
Key Takeaways
- Tubi's free service climbed above paid competitors like Disney+ and Netflix in viewership rankings in May, showcasing its rising popularity.
- Tubi's success may be attributed to its completely free model, eliminating the obstacle of rising streaming prices for viewers seeking alternatives.
- Despite competition from other free services like Pluto TV and Amazon Freevee, Tubi's emphasis on on-demand content and lack of registration requirement set it apart.
It’s no secret that streaming prices are rising across the board, so it shouldn’t be surprising that a free streaming service has quickly climbed the ranks in viewership. But, it may still be shocking all the same to see Tubi surpass streaming titans such as Disney+ and Max, as well as services like Peacock and Paramount+. In May, that’s exactly what happened.
The data bears out that, in terms of viewership, Tubi beat out Disney+, Max, Peacock, and Paramount+. At an average audience of 1,000,000 viewers, Tubi surpassed competitors and had its most-watched month ever, though it still wasn't quite able to edge out the industry's heaviest hitters, like Netflix.
Tubi
Premium Subscription No Originals Yes Live TV 200+ channels Watch now for free
Tubi’s titanic success as a free streaming service
Topping out some of the largest paid services
Tubi’s status as a free service makes it appealing in a time when streaming services are beginning to cost more and more. While some services are looking to bundle together to make a more economical option, Tubi’s success comes through eliminating price as an obstacle entirely. Further still, Tubi doesn’t even require users to register for an account to begin watching. The only perceivable issue with viewing on Tubi is, of course, ads. But in a time when every big streaming service has ad-supported tiers, why not sit through ads that have no price tag attached on a service like Tubi?
Tubi’s success in May seems to bear out the idea that consumers are getting tired of paying more and more for streaming. But, it remains to be seen how far that consumer sentiment will stretch and if Tubi’s viewership ranking can hold strong. In June, Max will most likely see a boost with the second season of the Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon, beginning to air on the service. If Tubi can hold strong against those kinds of releases, it may be safe to say the service’s success is much more than just a fluke.
Tubi’s not the only free streaming service around
Amongst other free options, Tubi still won the month
Tubi’s success doesn’t entirely come down to being free. Other free options, such as Pluto TV, the Roku Channel, and Amazon Freevee do exist. Despite this field of competition, Tubi still beats out every ad-supported free streaming service aside from YouTube’s free with ads selection. Amid all of this, what exactly makes Tubi appealing?
There are a few factors that could make Tubi stand out above similar competition. For one, services such as Pluto TV are based around live TV, rather than having a streaming library. There are on-demand titles on Pluto TV, but the vast majority of content on the service is viewed through a live TV stream.
Despite the Roku Channel and Amazon Freevee sort of sounding tied up in having a Roku or an Amazon Prime subscription, both services are completely accessible free of charge on the web. However, Tubi still stood strong in viewership over other free options. Whether Tubi’s success was just luck or indicative of a wider trend in viewing remains to be seen, but it is clear that free-with-ads might just be more appealing than an ad-supported tier.
