Tubi is free because you are the product. More trackers than Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ combined. Every show you watch, every pause, every search — packaged and sold to advertisers in real time. Fox bought Tubi for $440 million. They didn't buy a streaming service. They bought 80 million viewers' attention and the data that comes with it. Tubi's Super Bowl ad was designed to make you think someone sat on the remote and changed your channel. Families argued. People panicked. Thousands complained. A free streaming service funded entirely by tracking your viewing habits chose to market itself through deliberate deception. The ad was the most honest thing about the company — it showed you how they think about their users.
What they claim: Tubi promotes free streaming with no subscription required
What we found: Tubi is 100% ad-funded, meaning the entire business model is built on viewer data monetisation. Tubi collects device identifiers, viewing habits, IP-derived location, and demographic inferences, sharing them with dozens of advertising partners. Privacy researchers found Tubi's app contained more third-party trackers than most paid streaming services. When the product is free, the viewer data is the product.
What they claim: Tubi promotes itself as a straightforward free streaming service
What we found: During the 2023 Super Bowl, Tubi ran an ad designed to look like someone had accidentally sat on a remote and changed the channel — causing viewers to panic and argue with family members. Thousands of complaints flooded social media. The ad deliberately exploited the trust relationship between viewers and their TV interface to create a viral moment. A company built on data harvesting chose deception as its marketing strategy.