Tubi TV to launch in Australia ahead of global push

3:10 to Yuma

Lionsgate Entertainment and Metro Goldwyn Mayer-backed AVOD streamer Tubi is expanding into Australia as part of a forthcoming global roll-out.

The free ad-supported streaming service claims to be the world’s largest AVOD, having surpassed 20 million monthly users earlier this summer.

The Australian service launches on September 1 and will provide customers with access to nearly 7,000 movies and TV series, including The Blair Witch Project and 3:10 to Yuma. The company’s US library is made up of over 15,000 movies and TV shows, but Tubi said it would be expanding its Australian offering in the coming months.

Customers in Australia will be able to access Tubi via Telstra TV, Tubi.TV, or through nearly any internet-connected screen including Samsung TV’s, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast and Apple iOS, as well as Android tablets and smartphones. The service will also be available via game consoles, including PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Farhad Massoudi, CEO of Tubi, said the launch in Oz would be “the first of many launch initiatives to advance our global footprint.”

He added: “Our library size in Australia will expand rapidly in the coming months and eventually grow to our current library size in the US of 15,000 titles – and beyond. We look forward to further activating new audiences who will discover the growing value of free video on demand.”

The company’s expansion comes amid surging interest in AVOD, led by Viacom’s acquisition of Pluto TV earlier this year for $340 million. The ad-supported platform has since become key to newly merged ViacomCBS’s global streaming strategy.

Tubi TV raised $20 million in 2017 and has previously struck partnership deals with companies including Paramount, Starz, Sky and ITV.