Tubi

Overview

Tubi is the largest free ad-supported streaming television (FAST/AVOD) platform in the United States, owned by Fox Corporation since its acquisition in March 2020 for approximately $440 million. Founded in 2014 by Farhad Massoudi and headquartered in San Francisco, Tubi offers a catalog of over 300,000 on-demand movies and TV episodes to viewers at no cost, with revenue generated entirely through advertising. The platform operates as part of Tubi Media Group, a division of Fox Corporation that oversees the company's digital businesses.

As of May 2025, Tubi surpassed 100 million monthly active users and exceeded 1 billion monthly streaming hours, making it the most-watched dedicated FAST service in the US. The platform hit an all-time high of 2.2% of total US TV viewing on Nielsen's The Gauge. In fiscal year 2025, Tubi crossed $1 billion in annual revenue with 19% year-over-year growth and 27% engagement growth. The platform reached profitability for the first time in Q3 FY2026 (quarter ended September 30, 2025), ahead of Fox's internal projections.

Tubi's audience skews young and diverse. According to a November 2025 MRI Study, 58% of Tubi viewers identify as Gen Z or Millennials, and 47% identify as multicultural. This demographic profile makes Tubi particularly valuable for filmmakers whose work targets younger, diverse audiences that traditional linear television and premium SVOD platforms struggle to reach.

CEO Anjali Sud joined Tubi in September 2023 from Vimeo, where she served as CEO. Adam Lewinson serves as Chief Content Officer. Fox Corporation has guided approximately $350 million in digital operations spending for FY2026 and expects Tubi to be a meaningful contributor to company EBITDA, with 20 to 25% operating margins projected.

Content Acquisition and Licensing Model

Tubi does not accept direct submissions from filmmakers. All content arrives through approved distributors and AVOD aggregators. The platform evaluates content based on audience demand, genre fit, and performance data. Programming decisions are driven by data and audience behavior, not submission volume.

Tubi uses three primary deal structures for content acquisition:

• Revenue-sharing agreements: The most common model for independent and catalog content. Content owners earn a share of ad revenue generated when viewers watch their titles. The exact split varies by deal, relationship, and title performance. This model works best for films with strong audience retention over time.
• Fixed-fee licensing: Primarily for library content from major studios and established distributors. Tubi pays an upfront fee for exclusive or non-exclusive streaming rights for a defined window. This model is less common for smaller content owners but appears in strategic acquisitions where Tubi wants guaranteed exclusivity.
• Performance-based deals: Payment tied directly to viewership metrics and ad revenue performance. These deals favour titles that over-perform relative to expectations. A film that aligns with Tubi's proven engagement patterns (horror, young adult romance, action) will generate materially better performance-based returns than one that does not.

Most Tubi deals are non-exclusive licenses for a fixed period. This means films on Tubi can also be available on other non-exclusive platforms simultaneously, making Tubi compatible with theatrical, TVOD, or SVOD distribution strategies.

Runtime matters for AVOD economics. Features in the 80 to 100 minute range and episodic content in the 25 to 45 minute window generate the best completion rates, which directly affect how much ad inventory Tubi can serve and therefore how much revenue a revenue-share deal generates.

Content Partners and Library

The foundation of Tubi's 300,000-title library comes from licensing deals with major studios and networks. Current active partners include Warner Bros., Paramount, Lionsgate, AMC Networks, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, New Regency, and Fox Entertainment. Fox Corporation's 2021 acquisition of MarVista Entertainment also deepened Tubi's library.

Tubi actively acquires from independent distributors including Vertical Entertainment, Samuel Goldwyn Films, and Cohen Media Group, which signed an exclusive deal placing over 80 arthouse titles on the platform. A 2022 deal with South Korean entertainment company CJ ENM brought K-drama, Korean films, and K-pop programming to Tubi, and South Korean content has since become one of the platform's fastest-growing categories.

The platform also produces Tubi Originals, with over 300 exclusive titles. Notable originals include the Sidelined YA franchise (the sequel Sidelined 2: Intercepted became the number 1 title on the platform by first-30-day viewership), Please Don't Feed the Children (directed by Destry Allyn Spielberg, starring Michelle Dockery and Giancarlo Esposito), How to Lose a Popularity Contest (starring Sara Waisglass and Chase Hudson), and Kissing Is the Easy Part (starring Asher Angel and Paris Berelc). In 2026, Tubi greenlit Sidelined 3 as the final installment of the franchise.

Pathways for Independent Filmmakers

Since Tubi does not accept direct submissions, filmmakers must work through intermediaries to get content on the platform. Three primary routes exist:

Route 1 - Through an AVOD aggregator: Independent producers without a distributor can work through AVOD-specialized aggregators that have existing relationships with Tubi's acquisitions team. The aggregator handles delivery, metadata requirements, and deal negotiation. Economics are slightly reduced by the aggregator's fee, but the path is faster and more reliable. Aggregators with known Tubi relationships include Filmhub, Quiver Digital, and NIA Media.

Route 2 - Through an independent distributor: Distributors like Vertical Entertainment, Samuel Goldwyn Films, and Uncork'd Entertainment have established relationships with Tubi and regularly place titles on the platform. Filmmakers with a distribution deal that includes digital rights should confirm whether their distributor has a Tubi relationship.

Route 3 - Through the Kickstarter partnership: In June 2025, Tubi partnered with Kickstarter to bring over 20 crowdfunded films to the platform. Tubi invested in Kickstarter's FilmStream Collective Fund, which supports filmmakers with completion funding. Selected films receive guaranteed distribution on Tubi for an exclusive three-month window, with filmmakers sharing in advertising revenue. This pathway is open to filmmakers running Kickstarter campaigns between 2025 and 2026.

Tubi also launched the Tubi for Creators program, which brings digital-first creators to the platform. The first exclusive creator content deal was announced in October 2025 with Hartbeat (Kevin Hart's entertainment company), producing four creator-driven films for 2026. Digital-first creator content on Tubi has grown to nearly 10,000 titles.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Tubi is not a primary distribution partner for films targeting theatrical release or awards consideration. For films that have completed their theatrical and PVOD windows, however, Tubi provides one of the largest possible audience platforms for catalog distribution. The AVOD model is particularly well-suited to genre films, horror, action, and titles with passionate niche audiences who will watch with ads rather than pay a rental fee.

Filmmakers should understand that AVOD revenue is less predictable than a fixed SVOD licensing fee. Revenue scales with viewership, which can be advantageous for films with strong long-tail performance but makes revenue forecasting harder. Films with recognisable cast, strong genre credentials, or existing audience awareness tend to perform better on Tubi than films with no prior marketing.

The non-exclusive licensing model is a significant advantage. Films can be on Tubi while simultaneously available on other AVOD platforms, TVOD platforms, and even in limited theatrical release. This allows filmmakers to maximise revenue across multiple windows rather than locking content into a single platform.

See Also

For how AVOD fits into a multi-window digital distribution strategy, see Streaming vs Theatrical Revenue. To model the revenue potential of AVOD licensing alongside TVOD and SVOD in your film's distribution plan, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For acquisition deal structures and MG ranges across independent distributors that place content on Tubi, see Distribution Deals Explained.