Streaming Services

[knives]

Warner Discovery is loading tons of their classic film catalog onto Tubi, the free add-supported television (FAST) streaming service owned by Fox Corp. (the TV company, not the movie studio now owned by Disney). And these are not minor titles — mostly high-profile films like North by Northwest, Bullitt, A Streetcar Named Desire, Goodfellas, 2001, The Band Wagon and so forth. They’ve also announced that their DC films and TV series will be added, including the most recent stuff like The Batman.

Not exactly a cinephile’s dream what with the standard-def resolution and ad breaks, but they already have an incredibly deep catalog (some 40,000 titles), and you can’t beat the price. I’ve caught many movies and shows on there that aren’t available anywhere else.

I read an article recently (can’t remember where) that said FAST services are currently the only money-making streamers. The kind of catalog depth we all thought we would see on vertically integrated services like Max or Paramount+ is now actually happening on free services like Tubi and Pluto.

Too bad Pluto’s interface is so frustrating. That said, Tubi is legit. I’ve seen so many films I might not have otherwise through it. For example next up I have ‘90s Dutch comedy Little Tony.

[Drucker]

I watched the movie Joe on Pluto the other week, as I had never heard of it and me and some friends thought it looked good. An insufferable way to watch the film, with ad breaks every 5 minutes.

[Matt]

Yes, Pluto is pretty bad for movies. I only use it to watch old network TV shows on their live channels and they stick to the built-in ad breaks.


A fun thing to do on Tubi when you’ve finished a movie is to let the autoplay run the next suggested movie. Their recommendation algorithm is somehow actually good and it’s fun to see what it will pick. I had an accidental, highly enjoyable Amicus film marathon that way recently.

[Adam X]

As someone who was finally going to start using Tubi soon, it’s reaaallly disappointing to learn Fox Corp. now own them.

[ando]

Speaking of Tubi, The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez by the recently deceased Robert M. Young is currently streaming. Highly Recommended.

[Matt]

According to Nielsen, Tubi accounted for 2.1% of all television viewership in July 2024, the same percentage as Disney+ and more than Max, Peacock, or Paramount+. That’s just kind of wild to me since the Tubi experience is kind of like digging around in your grandparents’ attic (in both a good and bad way).

Also, Disney is shuttering all its standalone broadcast/cable channel streaming apps—ABC, FX, Freeform, National Geographic, and DisneyNow—aka TV Everywhere apps, which are typically authenticated with cable subscription logins. They’re funneling people to Hulu or to the websites for each channel, bypassing cable affiliation altogether. You can also now subscribe to a bundle of Disney+, Hulu, and Max for about what Netflix costs.

ESPN, I assume, will just continue on as its own thing as it doesn’t really lend itself to bundling with non-sports content. Disney continues to offer a bundle of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN, but it’s de-emphasized on their website to highlight the new bundle with Max.

Streaming is undergoing a huge, rapid change again, moving back toward consolidation, and cable subscriptions are probably going to nosedive as a result.

[hearthesilence]

According to Nielsen, Tubi accounted for 2.1% of all television viewership in July 2024, the same percentage as Disney+ and more than Max, Peacock, or Paramount+. That’s just kind of wild to me since the Tubi experience is kind of like digging around in your grandparents’ attic (in both a good and bad way).

2.1% of streaming, not television viewership. Scroll down to "viewing by distributor" and the percentages change dramatically. YouTube is still in first at 10.4%, but Disney moves up to second with 9.9%, NBCUniversal at 9.5%, Netflix 8.4%, etc.

[Matt]

I don’t think that’s right. How can YouTube account for just 10.4% of streaming but also account for 10.4% of all monthly TV viewing (by distributor)? Ditto Netflix at 8.4%. I think the differences you’re seeing in the numbers are because, for example, Disney owns Hulu and ABC and several cable channels. Fox owns the Fox broadcast channel, Tubi, Fox News (cable), and Fox Sports (cable). Paramount owns CBS, Pluto, Paramount+, Showtime, plus Nickelodeon and several other cable channels. The distributor is not always the same as the platform, which is why these numbers are separated out here.

[hearthesilence]

I don’t think that’s right. How can YouTube account for just 10.4% of streaming but also account for 10.4% of all monthly TV viewing (by distributor)?

Apologies, I misread the wheel graphic as breaking out only the streaming segment - it is indeed total TV.

Here's the data analyzed in a press release.

[brundlefly]

That’s just kind of wild to me since the Tubi experience is kind of like digging around in your grandparents’ attic (in both a good and bad way).

Yes, in that you find receipts saying all their money has somehow found its way to Fox News.

[knives]

Just from experience, but Tubi is loved by kids and their main source of television which makes sense as it’s free and very accessible.

[Shrew]

Also Tubi has Eros+Massacre alongside all the third rate schlock.

[Captain Paranoia]

I sometimes wonder how some films (particularly no-budget ones) manage to get released on Tubi. It reminds me of Prime Video in that regard until they modified their video submission system.

[Mr Sausage]

Also Tubi has Eros+Massacre alongside all the third rate schlock.

And nine(!) Mizoguchi films. Plus a pair of Ann Hui movies, which is helping my current dive into her work.

[Grand Wazoo]

I sometimes wonder how some films (particularly no-budget ones) manage to get released on Tubi. It reminds me of Prime Video in that regard until they modified their video submission system.

One of the ways if you don't have a sales/distribution team or have the right contacts, is to pay one of the services that put the film up for you, like FilmHub. They help license a film out to Tubi and/or numerous other FAST (free advertising-supported streaming television) platforms and some find ways to keep adding mysterious fees to lower a filmmaker's payout. It's a very shitty system for low to no budget indies, but depending on the situation it's this or simply not being seen at all after a festival run. This subreddit on FilmHub could prove enlightening to some.

[hearthesilence]

I wonder if I'm the only one here who doesn't subscribe to any streaming or broadcast channels? It's not like I haven't seen anything that streams, virtually everyone I knows subscribes to something so I'll end up watching whatever they do when I'm over at their place, but otherwise between the repertory programming here in NYC and my own library (mostly physical), I wouldn't have the time to make a subscription worthwhile.

[beamish14]

I wonder if I'm the only one here who doesn't subscribe to any streaming or broadcast channels? It's not like I haven't seen anything that streams, virtually everyone I knows subscribes to something so I'll end up watching whatever they do when I'm over at their place, but otherwise between the repertory programming here in NYC and my own library (mostly physical), I wouldn't have the time to make a subscription worthwhile.

Tubi is a free godsend. I never knew how much I need The Asylum mockbusters and the complete filmography of DMX in my life. Want a Canadian sitcom inspired by crack-addicted Toronto mayor Rob Ford? Stuff like that is there, too

I pay for a slew of streamers but continue to use free, library-affiliated ones like Hoopla (6 titles a month) and Kanopy (I believe 6 as well-it’s credit-based, and some titles “cost” more). This is all on top of repertory screenings and buying overpriced nonsense

[Matt]

I usually like the "This Month on TCM" promos, but I am being driven out of my mind by the one for this month. I want to hit myself over the head with a mallet like I'm in a Tex Avery cartoon every time I hear it.

[knives]

To continue the Tubi shock it looks like they have a ton of samurai flicks. Just went through The Bored Samurai and it looked very good though I would guess the subtitler does not speak English natively.

[Captain Paranoia]

I wonder if I'm the only one here who doesn't subscribe to any streaming or broadcast channels? It's not like I haven't seen anything that streams, virtually everyone I knows subscribes to something so I'll end up watching whatever they do when I'm over at their place, but otherwise between the repertory programming here in NYC and my own library (mostly physical), I wouldn't have the time to make a subscription worthwhile.

I don't really use that much streaming either, though I have considering subscribing to The Criterion Channel every now and then.

Tubi is a free godsend. I never knew how much I need The Asylum mockbusters and the complete filmography of DMX in my life. Want a Canadian sitcom inspired by crack-addicted Toronto mayor Rob Ford? Stuff like that is there, too
I pay for a slew of streamers but continue to use free, library-affiliated ones like Hoopla (6 titles a month) and Kanopy (I believe 6 as well-it’s credit-based, and some titles “cost” more). This is all on top of repertory screenings and buying overpriced nonsense

Putting aside the $20-budgeted garbage on there (as if they don't have a QC team), there are some hidden gems on the service. There's a strange variety of films, it's probably one of the most diverse services I've seen.

To continue the Tubi shock it looks like they have a ton of samurai flicks. Just went through The Bored Samurai and it looked very good though I would guess the subtitler does not speak English natively.

I noticed that they have The Quiet Duel on there (albeit in a fairly poor transfer, but considering how virtually every DVD release of the film I could fine costs a premium price, it's not a bad option), alongside several other Kurosawa films as an example. Film Movement and Strand Releasing also have several films on there.