March 30, 2021
NFL fans got some good news this month after the league announced new broadcast rights. There will be far more options to stream NFL games through online sources this year, but hidden in the mix is the fact that Tubi TV will also be a host to a large number of games in the 2021-2022 season.
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Streamer's Spotlight: Free Service Tubi TV Becomes a Live TV Option for NFL
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If you're not familiar with Tubi TV, now is as good a time as any to learn about it. Originally created as a free, ad-supported on-demand streaming (think Netflix but without a subscription), we learned this year that Tubi TV is now getting live sports. That's a huge change for this under-the-radar streaming service. The addition of live NFL games will be a boon for NFL fans, a big win for Fox, and will likely vault Tubi TV into the mainstream.
What Is Tubi TV?
Here's the short rundown: Tubi TV is an ad-supported on-demand streaming service launched in 2014. The service has one of the largest on-demand libraries on the market, with over 26,000 titles available.
Previously, it was independently owned. In 2020, however, Fox Corporation bought the service with the obvious intentions of using it to get into the growing on-demand streaming market. To be fair, that was a smart move for Fox. Instead of creating its own service, Fox instead chose to lay down some cash and purchase existing infrastructure.
Live TV (And NFL Games) Comes to Tubi TV
Now for the jaw-dropping part of this news. When the NFL announced its newest contracts, it came to light that Fox planned to stream its AFC Sunday games on Tubi TV. This means two things for cord-cutters:
1. You don't need a cable TV service or even a paid live TV streaming service to access AFC Sunday games
2. Fox is clearly experimenting with bringing more live TV content to Tubi TV
In all, this is great news for sports fans. Fox has the rights to a large amount of sports content. If if finds success here, we may see more sports content come to Tubi TV.
There May Be a Catch
As with anything media companies do, understand that there may ultimately be a catch here. Considering it's obvious that Fox is leveraging Tubi TV to help it rapidly enter the cord-cutting market, we should also anticipate the obvious result: Tubi TV may eventually start coming at a cost. Time will tell, but our experience in the cord-cutting market leads us to believe we should probably expect Fox to establish a subscription model with Tubi TV sometime in the future. When it does, the free ride for NFL content through Tubi TV will probably end.
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This Week's Streaming Guide
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1. 'Supergirl' Returns for Season 6
The CW's well-regarded Supergirl series is back with Season 6. Watch live on The CW tonight (March 30) at 9 PM EST. - Watch The CW Without Cable
2. 'Godzilla vs Kong' Available on HBO Max
The moment you've all been waiting for. Skip the movie theater and load up HBO Max this Wednesday (March 31) for the mega battle between Godzilla and King Kong. - Watch on HBO Max
3. Controversial Sitcom 'The United States of Al' Airs on CBS
Already mired in controversy, Chuck Lorre's latest comedy is definitely worth a watch. Stream it live this Friday (April 1) at 8:30 PM EST. - Watch CBS Live Without Cable
4. 'Law and Order' Fans Get a Brand New Series with the Premiere of 'Organized Crime'
Law and Order: Organized Crime enters the expansive universe of the popular series with a new focus. Stream live on NBC this Friday (April 1) at 10 PM EST - Watch NBC Without Cable
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News and Industry Developments
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1. Netflix Releases List of Most Popular International Programs
The demand for international titles is growing. - Deadline
2. Tubi Adding 128 Movies in April
That's far more than what Netflix is providing in April. - BGR
3. The NY Yankees Will Stream 21 Games on Amazon Prime Video
This is great news for Yankees fans, but there are regional limits involved. - Forbes
4. Has the NFL Sparked the Next Cord-Cutting Wave?
Expanding more into streaming service coverage may be a big catalyst for upward momentum in sports cord-cutting. - Radio + Television Business Report
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