The UK streaming market welcomed a new addition in Tubi, owned by Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation. Tubi is ad-supported streaming service that will rival Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, ITVX and Channel 4’s streaming platform as well as BBC iPlayer.

According to Fox, the service will launch with more than 20,000 films and TV episodes on-demand, featuring content from Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal and Sony Pictures Entertainment, in addition to its own originals.

Anjali Sud, the chief executive of Tubi, said: “Tubi has spent the last decade honing our approach to vast, free and fun streaming in North America, and we feel that now is the perfect time to bring that recipe to UK audiences. Most importantly, we’re committed to listening to what resonates with UK fans and bringing them more and more of what they love.”

There is intense competition between streaming services, which are battling for market share even as they contend with heavy losses and consumers struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

During the Covid crisis streaming services boomed, and companies such as Netflix, Disney and Apple poured billions of dollars into making expensive shows to draw in subscribers. However, as growth has slowed the companies have focused on cutting costs and trying to reach profitability.