The hidden cost of using Tubi and other free TV services

Key Takeaways

Tubi offers free TV shows and movies, but users pay with their data due to targeted ads.
Free streaming services like Tubi may lead to increased data harvesting from users over time.
Users can opt for physical media like DVDs to reduce data exposure, but face a higher upfront cost.

It’s no secret that streaming services are getting more expensive, and subscribing to all of them brings you to a price that rivals or surpasses the cost of a traditional cable plan. While it was a nice idea while it lasted, ditching the cord and going for streaming platforms instead isn’t guaranteed to be a better deal than having cable anymore. There are still some ways to save cash and keep up with a wide range of TV and movies, and it’s done by checking out the free streaming services.

Popular options include Tubi and Freevee, although the latter option is sunsetting and rolling into Amazon Prime Video. The draw of these services includes no subscription cost, so you can hop in and watch what you want without a month or year-long commitment. The downside of this is ads interrupt your experience, and although you aren’t charged for a dollar amount, you still have to pay a price with your information. Whether that matters or not varies by person to person, but it’s the hidden cost of going for a streaming service that has no monthly fee.

Tubi

Tubi is a free streaming platform that offers a vast collection of TV shows, movies, and even access to live TV channels. Tubi is available across all major platforms via a dedicated application or via the web.

number of users: 80 million
Originals: Yes
Live TV: 200+ channels
Price: Free

a multimedia remote controlling a streaming service on a colored background

What I didn’t expect when I compared Tubi against Pluto TV

I tested both Pluto TV and Tubi to find the better free streaming service, and what I found might make you rethink choosing just one.

Free isn’t free

There’s always a price to pay

Unsplash / Dario / Erol Ahmed / Erik Mclean / Pocket-lint

A lot of people gravitate to services like Tubi to dump the subscription costs, and that’s a totally understandable thing to do. While ads popping up during a movie aren’t ideal, it beats paying $20 a month for the most expensive tier of Max for a lot of people. Tubi doesn’t come with the bells and whistles Max does like 4K or Dolby Atmos support, but that’s not what you’d expect from a service like this. Instead, you get a wide range of movies to choose from that cost nothing to start watching.

While your wallet won’t feel a hit, you still pay with your information. In fact, you might be paying a lot more for your information than you originally thought. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that companies have your data when you sign up for a service, but Tubi was the target of a class-action lawsuit recently that alleged the streamer “disclosed the “personally identifiable information” (as defined in the VPPA) of Tubi users in connection with advertising allegedly targeted at those users,” according to the wording of the lawsuit.

Although not every service gets hit with a lawsuit such as this, it’s foolish to think your data isn’t being taken for similar reasons, no matter what you’re signing up for. For streaming services, it can come in the form of targeted ads that a free service runs to keep itself free. This same thing applies to ad-supported tiers with other services, so you’re victim to the same circumstances even if the streamer costs money. Netflix raised its prices in 2024 to make its ad tier more appetizing, and at $6.99, it has a place. If you want the highest quality on Netflix, it’s out of the question, but there are a lot of people out there who don’t particularly care how their show looks or sounds.

In the case of Netflix, you’re getting a limited experience by paying less, but for Tubi, you’re getting the full-fat version as it’s all that’s offered. The only payment comes in the form of your data, and if that’s a price you’re willing to pay, there’s a lot of mileage you can get out of the service. For what it’s worth, I’m a big fan of Tubi as it often has obscure films I can’t find anywhere else. It doesn’t have the same streaming quality as some of the bigger services, but with no monetary charge, I can’t find much to complain about. For the record, I did submit my claim form for the Tubi class action lawsuit as well.

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There’s not a clear alternative

The new future

If you want to keep on watching the free streaming services, there doesn’t appear to be much you can do to prevent them from harvesting your data. The only real solace you can take is that any service you log into, whether it’s Google Chrome or a mobile game, takes your data. If that’s okay with you, then you can keep on keeping on. As it stands, it is difficult to imagine the genie being put back in the bottle, so this is indeed the new future.

As we move more toward a digital world, it’s tough to envision things getting better when it comes to data collection. You can take preventive measures yourself by decreasing your digital footprint. You can cut back on using streaming services by building up a physical media library. Although Best Buy pulled out of the physical space for movies and TV shows, there are still plenty of boutique stores like Shout! Factory and the Criterion Collection that preserves your favorite films.

A similar trend can be seen outside of movies and TV shows. Vinyl records are increasing in popularity, and there are entire sections dedicated to them in Walmart and Target. While streaming services are more popular than ever, there does seem to be a growing population of people who are looking to build up their physical libraries. Physical media not only prevents companies from getting your monthly subscription cost and data, but it ensures nothing will ever be taken from you. Movies on Netflix are susceptible to leaving the service at the end of the month, and some streamers have deleted entire shows and movies that can’t be seen in any other way. That won’t happen to anything you actually own outside of a disc being damaged, so there’s some value there.

On the other hand, going physical has a high upfront cost, and it’s not uncommon to spend $30 on a movie. It all comes down to your viewing habits and what you’re okay with. If you want to ditch the streaming services and protect your data, it’s a price that has to be paid.