How new free streaming service rivalling Netflix works as it launches in UK today

A brand new streaming service called Tubi has launched in the UK in what is a direct rival to Netflix.

And the thing that is expected to turn heads the most is the fact that is it totally free to sign up and watch.

Launched by Fox Corporation, which is run by Australian businessman Rupert Murdoch, it serves as an expansion to the service that already operates in the USA.

Boasting nearly 80 million daily users over in the States (we're talking almost one quarter of their population), Murdoch and his team have now zoned in to the UK as they look to take on streaming service rivals such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video over here in Blighty.

What does Tubi have?

We're talking a library of 20,000 TV shows and films as it is launched in the UK today (2 July).

That is expected to grow as the service embeds itself in to the UK's streaming culture and we would hazard a guess to bigger names coming to the platform as more and more people sign up.

Funded purely by adverts, there is no fee to watch anything on Tubi. So if you're okay with that, happy days.

Content already available on Tubi includes the Twlight films and Olympus Has Fallen, as well as critically acclaimed films like Billy Elliot, Prospect, and Kill Bill Volume 1 and 2.

Tubi has original shows as well as content licensed from Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

The Tubi homepage includes browsing content by genre as well as particular collections, including 'Based on a Book' and 'Black Cinema'. There's also a My Stuff section, where you can add content to your to watch list.

How the Tubi homepage can look (Tubi)

Do I need a TV Licence?

Given that Tubi is free at the point of use, it'll also serve as direct competition to platforms such as BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and Channel 4.

But unlike with those services, you won't need a TV Licence to watch any of its content.

That's because it is not live and is the same as watching Netflix or Prime Video content (that isn't live events, such as the Premier League).

You still need a TV Licence to watch iPlayer as well as ITVX and Channel 4 if you're watching them as they are broadcast live.

How Tubi can look through the smart TV app (Tubi)

How can I watch Tubi?

According to the Tubi website, there are a number of ways you can tune in to the streaming service to watch its content.

As well as being available on your browser, via computers or smartphones, there are other ways such as through the official app that is available on the Google Play Store for Android and the App Store on IOS.

Then there's the Amazon Fire TV Sticks, as well as games consoles including the PS5, PS5, and Xbox One.

On top of that, the Tubi app is available on many smart TVs and media streaming devices including Apple TV; Comcast Xfinity; Cox; Hisense TV; LG TV; Roku; Rogers; Samsung TV; Sony Smart TV & Blu-ray; Tivo; and Vizio TV.

Given that it has only just launched in the UK, it may be a case of assessing where you can watch it on a case by case basis.

To register for a Tubi account, go to tubitv.com/signup and either sign up through your Google account or give your first name, email, and create a password. And that's it.