Netflix‘s main rivals in the UK have long been the likes of Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.
But that may be changing as media giant Fox has just expanded Tubi, a streaming service that doesn’t require payment or even a signup process.
Now, a hilarious war of words between Netflix and Tubi has resurfaced on X (Twitter), showing that the rivalry between the two runs deep.
Tubi shared the now-notorious clip of US stand-up comic Kat Williams ranting about fellow comedian Cedric the Entertainer, accusing him of stealing his jokes.
In the post, Tubi tagged Netflix and said it ‘sounds like it’s just you and me baby’ – suggesting it’s accusing its rival of similar encroachment.
Tubi shared the now-notorious clip from January of US stand-up comic Kat Williams ranting about fellow comedian Cedric the Entertainer
Netflix then replied with a viral meme from a Real Housewives of Atlanta episode saying ‘how did I get thrown into this?’
The interaction from January takes on fresh relevance as Tubi (pronounced ‘tooby’) is now trying to prize away users from Netflix in the UK.
While both streaming services have exclusive TV shows and movies, there is some overlap in the content they offer.
However, the UK version of Tubi has been slammed for having very few popular titles, with one viewer describing it as like the discount DVD section’ of a rental store.
It launches in the UK with 20,000 movies and TV episodes available – far less than the 240,000 movies and TV episodes available in the US.
Tubi is completely free, but users have to endure adverts during and after their favourite content, much like rivals Netflix and Amazon Prime Video
One user said UK Tubi was like walking into the discount DVD section at a rubbish rental store, while the US version is ‘a thrill’
Another user made fun of Tubi’s seemingly random focus on British cooks Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood – stars of ‘The Great British Bake Off’
Early users are being left disappointed by the selection of TV and films available – described as ‘so bad’ and nothing like the US version
There are also many little-known, low-budget selections that have left British streaming fans bemused.
One user said they searched for hits like ‘Babylon 5’ and ‘NYPD Blue’ before being presented with bizarre equivalents – ‘Babylon’, a 2023 documentary, and ‘Blue’, a 2019 foreign film, respectively.
Tubi UK includes classic TV shows like Twilight and Fresh Meat as well as classic blockbusters such as Kill Bill, Billy Elliot and Casino.
There’s also an extensive selection of cooking shows by British cooks Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood – stars of ‘The Great British Bake Off’.
Tubi launched in the US a decade ago and has already been available in Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.
Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, said Tubi has entered the UK video streaming market at a ‘highly competitive time’.
‘Being free to use is a major plus point even with ad inclusion, as subscription costs continue to rise on established alternatives such as Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime,’ he told MailOnline.
‘As well as thousands of film and TV favourites, it’s great to see Tubi also has its own original content, which continues to be an essential differentiator for streaming platforms in such a saturated market.’
Cult Channel 4 sitcom Fresh Meat is among the selection of comedy on Tubi – but overall the UK selction pales in comparison to Netflix
Both volumes of the Quentin Tarantino classic Kill Bill starring Uma Thurman are available on Tubi UK
Tubi launched in the US back in 2014 and has since gained an impressive following in the US, eventually being purchased by Fox in 2020.
Now, with 80 million monthly viewers TV claims to be the number one advertising-based video-on-demand service in the US.
The reason Tubi is able to offer so much content for free is that it is entirely supported by advertising revenue.
However, according to Tubi, the platform only includes three to five ads (totalling four to six minutes) per viewing hour, occurring every 12 to 15 minutes.
Netflix vaguely claims to have ‘a few short ads per hour’ – although users are generally exposed to about the same amount.
