Tubi is taking its free TV to the U.K. as it appoints new exec

Phil Nickinson
·2 min read

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Tubi on a TV.
Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

Tubi, the Fox-owned streaming service that eschews subscription fees for advertising revenue, today announced that it’s expanding its already impressive reach into the U.K., with a new executive VP to lead the way.

David Salmon was tapped as Executive Vice President and Managing Director, International. He’ll be based in the U.K. and, in addition to that market, is also is looking to expand further into Latin America. Tubi currently has more than 70 million monthly active users in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, Panama, Australia, and New Zealand.

Tubi is the leader in the still-growing FAST market — that’s short for free, ad-supported television. Instead of having to pay anything, viewers are served advertising before, during, and after shows and movies. And in a world in which subscription fatigue is a real factor, it’s proved to be a popular option.

“Tubi has an industry-leading position in the U.S., and we’re looking to replicate that success across international markets,” Salmon said in a press release. “We already have a fast-growing footprint in Canada, Australia, and Central America, and I’m excited to join [Tubi CEO] Anjali [Sud] and the team during this time of growth to advance those efforts while expanding into new markets like the U.K and further into Latin America.”

Buy at -Tubi is a bit of a FAST hybrid, with on-demand video available alongside linear channels where anyone watching would be watching the same thing at the same time, à la traditional broadcast and cable TV. Tubi currently boasts more than 200,000 movies and TV episodes, and more than 250 FAST channels.

“Tubi has now led the U.S. market as the [No. 1 advertising-based video on demand] player for six months, and we believe our unique product and content strategy is ready for the global stage,” Sud said in the press release. “As other services raise subscription fees for consumers, we believe that audiences around the world will look for more choice, more personalization, and less friction in how they are entertained. David brings an incredibly rare combination of entrepreneurial, technical, and streaming expertise in global markets, and I’m thrilled to expand our footprint with his leadership.”

Tubi is available on every major streaming platform, from Roku and Amazon Fire TV to Apple TV and Google TV. It’s also available on various smart TV systems and in a web browser.