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— CH. 1 · THE FREE SERVICE LAUNCH —

Tubi

~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
6 sections
  • Tubi launched on the 1st of April 2014 as a free streaming service in San Francisco, California. Farhad Massoudi and Thomas Ahn Hicks founded the company under the name Tubi TV while working at AdRise. The founders aimed to build an ad-supported platform that required no subscription fees from users. In May 2017, the company secured US$20 million in funding from Jump Capital, Danhua Capital, Cota Capital, and Foundation Capital. This capital injection allowed Tubi to expand its library and improve technology infrastructure. By June 2019, the service reported over 20 million active monthly users. Later that same month, Tubi announced that viewers had streamed 132 million hours of content. The rapid growth demonstrated strong consumer demand for free video-on-demand options during this period.

  • On the 17th of March 2020, Fox Corporation announced plans to acquire Tubi for $440 million in cash upfront payments. The deal officially closed on the 20th of April 2020 after regulatory approvals were granted. Massoudi remained with the company following the transaction while operating as a separate subsidiary within the larger media conglomerate. Fox Corporation had recently been spun off from 21st Century Fox following Disney's acquisition of that entity one year prior. In December 2021, Fox acquired MarVista Entertainment to bolster Tubi's production capabilities for made-for-TV films. This strategic move strengthened the platform's ability to create original content independently. By January 2023, Tubi signed a new content deal with Warner Bros. Discovery adding nine FAST channels and DC Comics shows available only on demand. Anjali Sud was appointed CEO in July 2023 following Massoudi's departure from leadership roles.

  • Tubi expanded internationally starting in November 2015 when AdRise partnered with Blue Ant Media to launch operations in Canada. The service became inaccessible throughout the European Union due to GDPR regulations entering into force on the 25th of May 2018. Tubi later announced it would relaunch in the United Kingdom by early 2019 while working toward compliance with European data protection laws. Official launches occurred in Australia and New Zealand on the 1st of September 2019 covering the Oceania region. Mexico became the first Latin American country to receive the service through a partnership with TV Azteca in January 2020. Additional expansion followed in August 2022 when the platform launched simultaneously in Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama. Shaw Communications partnered with Tubi in July 2022 to make the service available to all its Canadian customers. The United Kingdom officially received the platform again in July 2024 after years of regulatory delays.

  • As of January 2023, Tubi offered more than 40,000 films and television series from over 250 providers including both American and foreign content distributors. Major studios signed distribution deals such as NBCUniversal which provided 400 TV episodes and films in February 2019. Warner Bros. Discovery contributed additional FAST channels and on-demand content through agreements finalized in January 2023 and December 2023. South Korean entertainment company CJ ENM licensed numerous Korean-language films, television series, and K-pop programs starting in December 2022. This category became one of Tubi's fastest-growing segments globally. Other partners included Sony Pictures Television, CBS Media Ventures, Paramount Pictures Distribution, and BBC Studios among many others listed in their extensive catalog. The platform also inherited former MundoFox game show Minuto para Ganar through its Español hub while maintaining access to shows previously aired on Fox's 4Kids TV block like Chaotic and Sonic X.

  • Tubi began producing its own original content in 2021 following the acquisition by Fox Corporation. The service released television films and series across multiple genres including drama, comedy, animation, and unscripted programming. Notable releases included The Nevers season 1B premiering on the 14th of February 2023 and Boarders season 2 launching the 17th of April 2025. Comedy titles featured The Z-Suite workplace comedy debuting the 6th of February 2025 alongside Demascus science fiction comedy arriving the 7th of August 2025. Animation projects included The Freak Brothers adult animated comedy which ended after its initial run on the 14th of November 2021. Unscripted docuseries covered true crime topics with titles like Meet Marry Murder ending the 6th of October 2021 and TMZ No BS Celebrity concluding the 12th of February 2023. Reality programs such as Nick Cannon's Big Drive ran from the 15th of February 2024 until completion. Variety shows included Kitchen Commando cooking show that finished the 12th of February 2023 and We Got Time Today talk show still pending renewal status as of late 2024.

  • Tubi secured rights to stream live matches from the NBA G League, UEFA Nations League, CONCACAF competitions, and Liga MX leagues through Fox Sports channels available on the platform. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Tubi offered all matches on-demand thirty minutes after they concluded for viewers worldwide. The service broadcast select games live during the 2023 World Baseball Classic tournament. Super Bowl LIX coverage aired freely on the 9th of February 2025 alongside a unique pregame show produced exclusively by Tubi. International agreements expanded access starting the 18th of December 2024 when Liga MX home games of León and Pachuca clubs became available free in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador. CONCACAF announced Tubi acquired broadcasting rights for the Champions Cup in Mexico on the 3rd of February 2025. Premier League matches covering fifty percent of fixtures began streaming in Mexico and Central America from Matchday 26 of the 2024-25 season. Additional partnerships included FA Cup television rights and home games for FC Juárez Men's and Women's teams plus Tigres broadcasts held by Azteca Deportes.

Common questions

When did Tubi launch and who founded the company?

Tubi launched on the 1st of April 2014 as a free streaming service in San Francisco, California. Farhad Massoudi and Thomas Ahn Hicks founded the company under the name Tubi TV while working at AdRise.

Who acquired Tubi and when did the deal close?

Fox Corporation announced plans to acquire Tubi for $440 million in cash upfront payments on the 17th of March 2020. The deal officially closed on the 20th of April 2020 after regulatory approvals were granted.

In which countries has Tubi expanded internationally since its founding?

Tubi expanded internationally starting in November 2015 with operations in Canada and official launches occurred in Australia and New Zealand on the 1st of September 2019. Mexico became the first Latin American country to receive the service through a partnership with TV Azteca in January 2020.

How many films and television series does Tubi offer as of January 2023?

As of January 2023, Tubi offered more than 40,000 films and television series from over 250 providers including both American and foreign content distributors. Major studios signed distribution deals such as NBCUniversal which provided 400 TV episodes and films in February 2019.

What original content has Tubi produced since 2021?

Tubi began producing its own original content in 2021 following the acquisition by Fox Corporation and released titles like The Nevers season 1B premiering on the 14th of February 2023. Notable releases included Boarders season 2 launching the 17th of April 2025 and The Freak Brothers adult animated comedy ending after its initial run on the 14th of November 2021.

All sources

106 references cited across the entry

  1. 1webWhat's Next for Tubi TVtdmclaughlin — March 17, 2024
  2. 5webWhat Is Tubi (and Is It Worth It?)Don Reisinger — April 28, 2019
  3. 10webTubi is Just Like Netflix – Except It's 100% FREE...Richard Goodwin — July 21, 2020
  4. 11newsTubi TV wants to take on Crackle with free movies and TV showsJanko Roettgers — GigaOm — April 16, 2014
  5. 13webFox buys Tubi for $440m cash upfrontEd Waller — March 17, 2020
  6. 14webTubi TV Raises US$20 Million in Round of FundingRafael Antonio Pineda — May 13, 2017
  7. 19webTubi Inks NBC Universal Catalog DealErik Gruenwedel — February 28, 2019
  8. 22webFox Closes Purchase of Tubi in Day of Streaming DealsJill Goldsmith — April 20, 2020
  9. 24magazineTubi Signs Deal with South Korean Entertainment Company CJ ENMBreAnna Bell — December 12, 2022
  10. 25magazineTubi Inks Korean Content Deal With CJ ENMErik Gruenwedel — December 12, 2022
  11. 27webTubi Freaks Out Super Bowl Viewers With 'Interface Interruption' AdTodd Spangler — Variety — February 13, 2023
  12. 28webTubi Super Bowl ad leaves viewers thinking they sat on their remotesAnna Kaplan — Today — February 13, 2023
  13. 30webThat Viral Tubi Superbowl Commercial Had Some Real-life Consequences That Can't Be IgnoredRachel Ulatowski — The Mary Sue — February 19, 2023
  14. 31webTubi Hires Vimeo Chief Anjali Sud As New CEOCaitlin Huston — July 17, 2023
  15. 33newsFox's Tubi sues law firm over 'manufactured' mass arbitration claimsDavid Thomas — Reuters — June 4, 2024
  16. 37webFox Sports México demanda a Grupo PachucaAram Ledezma — March 4, 2025
  17. 44webTubi TV Lands Paramount FlicksJeff Baumgartner — March 11, 2015
  18. 46newsAdRise Launches Tubi for free VODMichelle Clancy — April 18, 2014
  19. 47webBlue Ant Media brings Tubi TV to CanadaVal Maloney — November 18, 2015
  20. 50webTubi heads to the U.K., launches Tubi KidsBen Munson — October 14, 2019
  21. 56webTubi Partners with Shaw in CanadaErik Gruenwedel — July 20, 2022
  22. 57webTubi expands free streaming service to 5 LatAm countriesLauren Forristal — August 11, 2022
  23. 58webFox's Tubi launches in five countries in Latin AmericaBevin Fletcher — August 11, 2022
  24. 62webGKIDS, Tubi Enter Content Partnership DealAlex Mateo — February 11, 2022
  25. 68webAnime
  26. 69newsAdRise Launch RTB-Based Connected TV Ad PlatformVincent Flood — March 15, 2012
  27. 70newsHere's My Favorite Way To Play 'Tubi Roulette' And Find Something To WatchJohn Finn — Streaming Better — April 18, 2024
  28. 73webTubi Sticks With BBC's Boarders For Final SeasonJesse Whittock — October 3, 2025
  29. 74webNabela Noor Sets Lifestyle Series at Tubi (EXCLUSIVE)Joe Otterson — March 23, 2026
  30. 81newsHow to watch UEFA Nations League on US TV and streamingChristopher Harris — June 1, 2022
  31. 84newsTubi Now Offers 21 Live Sports ChannelsJames Guttman — April 24, 2024
  32. 85newsTubi to make World Cup game reruns available in 4KChristopher Harris — November 14, 2022
  33. 86newsHow to Watch the World Baseball Classic 2023Taylor Kujawa — February 27, 2023
  34. 96webTUBI transmitirá la Copa de Campeones Concacaf en exclusivaÁlex Martínez — February 3, 2025
  35. 101webTubi viene con todo, el nuevo golpe a Televisa y Azteca que no vieron venirAngelaccess-date=March 3, 2025 Vieyra Castro — February 28, 2025
  36. 102webTubi sigue creciendo: suma la FA Cup a su catálogo deportivoAlejandro Hernández — February 28, 2025
  37. 105webNo solo en Azteca Deportes; Tigres también "rugirá" en TubiEfraín Ballesteros — March 7, 2025
  38. 107webJuárez vs Atlas: Cómo y dónde ver la Liga MX FemenilEnrique Samano — March 8, 2025