How Tubi is Quietly Stealing the Streaming Show

As a kid, I loved getting together with my friends to watch reruns of The Jeffersons and Good Times on our old tube TV. Those sitcoms had us laughing out loud, but they also delved into the Black experience in ways that my school textbooks often overlooked.

That same warm nostalgia grips me now when I watch Tubi. I tune in for one Sanford and Son episode, and suddenly it’s midnight, and I’m two offbeat crime documentaries deep.

A Direct Line to Viewers

Tubi attracts a staggering 78 million monthly active users and racks up over 8.5 billion streaming hours a year, growing 59% year-over-year. Even Nielsen’s “The Gauge” notes that Tubi holds 1.8% of total TV viewing time—outranking subscription giants like Peacock, Paramount+, and Apple TV+.

CEO Anjali Sud insists they’ll “invest in viewer experiences” rather than chase mega-franchises. CMO Nicole Parlapiano echoes this, explaining, “New isn’t necessarily newly released. New is to people who have never seen it before.”

I agree. I’ve seen Columbo a thousand times. But for my daughter, discovering Peter Falk for free on Tubi is a revelation.

And for the 63% of Tubi’s audience who are cord-cutters (and 36% who fall between 18 and 34), the free model hits a sweet spot. Ads don’t scare them, and the on-demand library is massive—over 200,000 movies and TV episodes.

Lifeline for Creators

One of the biggest success stories remains Lisa Brown’s Dirty D series, which reportedly earned seven figures across multiple titles. Her method? Skip Hollywood’s gatekeepers, go straight to Tubi, and pocket ad revenue from day one.

Many Black filmmakers find Tubi especially welcoming. In 2022, 21% of Tubi’s overall audience was Black—substantially higher than the percentage of Black viewers in the general U.S. population. Multicultural demographics now form 39% of Tubi’s user base, and Black viewership alone grew by 58% from 2022 to 2023.

Filmmakers can upload work, keep their rights, and see real revenue from the start. No ten-year lock-in. No dreaded “recoup” black hole. If you’re telling a story the mainstream won’t touch, Tubi offers an open door to a massive, engaged audience.

A couple of years ago, we were developing a project we thought had serious potential—a crypto documentary that we felt could land on one of the big subscription streamers. We were fixated on that glow and the perceived prestige, so we never seriously considered Tubi.

When a very smart advisor casually suggested it, we dismissed the idea because we’d heard people say—and believed—“Tubi is just a dumping ground for crappy, ultra-low-budget fare.”

Turns out we were wrong.

Sure, Tubi has had some rougher titles, but so has every streaming service. Now we realize that if we’d shot our project on a scrappy budget and brought it to Tubi, we might have found a dedicated audience and sustainable revenue long before the big platforms gave us the time of day. Instead, we let an outdated perception steer us away from a genuine opportunity.

Free Doesn’t Mean Cheap

Yes, Tubi’s ad-supported. But with the rapid adoption of AI-driven editing tools, advanced cameras, and an ever-improving recommendation engine, you can’t dismiss Tubi’s content as “budget bin.” Audiences aren’t complaining—they’re binging entire series or movies. That’s gold for advertisers, who now see Tubi as the No. 1 FAST (free ad-supported TV) service in the U.S.

Tubi’s data shows that more than 90% of its viewing is on-demand, and 30% of its audience is unreachable on other major AVOD platforms. This unique viewership ensures even lesser-known shows find loyal fans.

A Surprising Soccer Play

Tubi recently made waves by moving into soccer, targeting grassroots initiatives and forging partnerships that leverage the sport’s global popularity. This step hints at an even broader strategy: capturing diverse, underserved fans beyond the usual entertainment genres.

In the run-up to events like the 2026 World Cup, Tubi could become the go-to place to watch soccer for free—an appealing alternative to expensive subscription sports networks. If Tubi pulls this off, it may reshape how millions discover and follow the world’s most popular game.

The Viewer-First Business Model

People arrive on Tubi to watch Jeffersons reruns, true-crime docs, or soccer streams without paying a dime. Advertisers eagerly foot the bill to access Tubi’s 1.8% share of total TV viewing time. Everyone wins.

Black creators—often locked out of major studio deals—find Tubi’s direct revenue model liberating. You don’t need a $10 million budget to stand out if you understand your community and genre. Just ask Lisa Brown or any of the up-and-coming filmmakers who see monthly checks from Tubi.

Where It’s Headed

Tubi’s quiet revolution keeps getting louder. They’re broadening their global footprint, creating moderate but strategic original series (200 Tubi Originals so far, watched by 54 million viewers), and catering to niche tastes that mainstream streamers often neglect.

Their move into soccer could spark further expansions into other sports. If that proves successful, Tubi might soon host additional global sports coverage, cementing its position as a must-have, ad-supported service.

All Roads Lead to Tubi

I keep coming back to Tubi because it reminds me of flipping channels at 2 a.m.—stumbling onto old sitcoms or random cult classics that feel like hidden treasures. Now, that old-school vibe fuses with a modern, ad-driven revenue model that actively rewards creators who speak to real audiences.

Whether you’re a filmmaker with a niche tale the mainstream doesn’t champion or a soccer fan craving free coverage, Tubi has you covered. Their path forward looks bold and accessible, proving once again that in entertainment, “free” can sometimes be more powerful than any pricey subscription.