A new free streaming service owned by Rupert Murdoch's Fox is set to launch in the UK as a rival to Netflix.

Tubi is an ad-supported platform that has been gaining market share in the US where, according to Fox, it has almost 80 million monthly active users.

In the UK, viewers will be able to access more than 20,000 films and TV episodes, which will include content from Sony Pictures, Lionsgate and Disney among others.

Tubi chief executive Anjali Sud 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."

BBC News reports that UK viewers will be able to access content on the Tubi webpage and via a smartphone app.

Tubi offers alternative to regular streaming services

In recent years plenty of streaming services, such as Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video have launched ad-supported services and raised subscription prices.

This was in an attempt to boost revenues and grow their audience in an increasingly competitive market.

Tubi's free alternative with ads will see it placed in a similar status to options like ITVX and Channel 4's streaming platform.

Fox Corporation bought Tubi in 2020 for $440m (£348m) as the US media giant looked to attract younger audiences.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, David Salmon, executive VP and managing director at Tubi described the positioning for Tubi in the UK as “brilliantly broad and very culturally ambitious.”

He explained: "Yes, we are going to have Hollywood blockbusters and amazing premium TV episodes.

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"But across the 20,000 movies and TV episodes, we’ll have on the service at launch, you’re also going to find the weird, the wonderful, the brilliant, the unique, and there are going to be some segments that you just can’t find in what typically does tend to be this very, very busy middle, which is typically super-served by SVOD services.”

Meanwhile, CEO Sud added: "The UK is a melting pot, and culture is moving fast.

"You have younger audiences coming online, and they want to see themselves and their life experiences and the things they care about reflected in movies and TV series, and we have an opportunity to do that.”