Publisher & Media Owner · vs · Publisher & Media Owner
DIRECTV vs Tubi
Structured technology and market comparison · 2026
Direct Feature Comparison
DIRECTV · vs · TubiPay TV, streaming and addressable advertising platform.
Free AVOD streaming service and owned CTV advertising platform.
Comparison Analysis
What is the main difference between DIRECTV and Tubi?
When comparing DIRECTV and Tubi, both platforms operate within the Video Streaming Platform, In-App, and Publisher & Media Owner ecosystem. DIRECTV is positioned as Pay TV, streaming and addressable advertising platform, whereas Tubi focuses on Free AVOD streaming service and owned CTV advertising platform. Decision-makers evaluate both solutions when orchestrating their commercial monetization and technology stack.
What are the top alternatives to DIRECTV and Tubi?
When evaluating DIRECTV and Tubi, enterprise buyers also consider other platforms in Video Streaming Platform, In-App, and Publisher & Media Owner. You can discover the full competitive landscape and evaluate other alternatives by viewing their respective footprint profiles on Polaris7.
Market Signals
Recent Market Signals & Activity: DIRECTV vs Tubi
Documented market movements, strategic partnerships, product releases, and regulatory developments mapped across Polaris7.
DIRECTV
Recent Signals
- ·State of StreamingConnected TV (CTV) & OTT
DIRECTV — State of Streaming Company Profile
This State of Streaming company page profiles DIRECTV as a streaming app (Ticker: TPG) and aggregates recent coverage, press links, and resources. The page lists multiple State of Streaming articles about DIRECTV including coverage of the Stanley Cup Final audience (Jun 2026), DirecTV adding Apple TV+ (Mar 2026), a DirecTV study on TV station mergers (Mar 2026), a small-business streaming service launch (Jan 2026), an appeals-court revival of DirecTV's antitrust suit against Nexstar (Dec 2025), and prior coverage of product launches, FAST channel additions, bundles, and use of AI for political ad spending (Nov 2025). The profile includes links to DIRECTV’s website and press newsroom and notes related podcast and ebook resources hosted by State of Streaming.
- DIRECTV is presented on State of Streaming as a "Streaming App" with Ticker: TPG.
- Official website listed as https://www.directv.com/ and press newsroom at https://www.directv.com/insider/news/.
- State of Streaming links a June 2026 article: "The Stanley Cup Final Had Its Biggest Audience in Seven Years. DIRECTV Subscribers in Twelve Markets Watched It on a Different App."
- ·Cord Cutters NewsCTV
DIRECTV Raises Legacy DIRECTV NOW Add-On Prices
DIRECTV is ending long-running discounted pricing for a small group of legacy DIRECTV NOW-era customers, aligning their premium streaming add-on rates with standard prices starting with billing cycles on or after September 27, 2026. Affected subscribers—some who kept promotional rates for seven years or more—will see HBO Max move to $18.49/month, STARZ to $11.99/month, and Cinemax to $10.99/month. DIRECTV is providing 30 days' advance notice, and the change applies only to the grandfathered premium add-ons, not base live TV packages. Customers may drop the add-ons before the new rates take effect.
- DIRECTV will end legacy promotional pricing on premium add-ons for some DIRECTV NOW-era customers effective with billing cycles on or after 2026-09-27.
- New monthly prices for affected accounts: HBO Max $18.49, STARZ $11.99, Cinemax $10.99.
- The adjustment targets customers who retained discounted premium add-ons for at least seven years, including accounts that paid as little as $5/month for HBO.
- ·Cord Cutters NewsTV (linear)
DIRECTV Loses Indianapolis ABC (WRTV) in Carriage Dispute
DIRECTV subscribers in the Indianapolis area are without WRTV-ABC after the satellite provider’s rights to carry the station expired. DIRECTV is negotiating with the station’s new owner, Circle City Broadcasting, which demands mandatory carriage of two sister stations (WISH-CW and WNDY-MyNetwork) as part of any restoration. Circle City completed an $83 million acquisition of WRTV from E.W. Scripps on March 31 and quickly cut more than 50 newsroom jobs, consolidating newscasts with its CW affiliate. The dispute highlights industry trends: skyrocketing retransmission consent fees, bundling of lower-rated stations with popular affiliates, and reduced local news capacity — with implications for local information access ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
- Circle City Broadcasting completed its $83 million acquisition of WRTV from E.W. Scripps on March 31, 2026.
- DIRECTV’s rights to carry WRTV-ABC expired, resulting in a blackout for Indianapolis-area subscribers; negotiations between DIRECTV and Circle City Broadcasting are ongoing.
- Circle City is demanding mandatory carriage of two additional stations it owns (WISH-CW and WNDY-MyNetwork) as a condition to restore WRTV-ABC.
Tubi
Recent Signals
- ·Cord Cutters NewsContent Distribution
MLW Wrestling Comes to Tubi in New Free Streaming Deal
Major League Wrestling (MLW) announced a new streaming distribution agreement with Tubi, bringing its weekly series 'MLW FUSION' to the free, ad-supported platform. New episodes will stream every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, starting September 17. MLW's founder and CEO, Court Bauer, emphasized the brand's commitment to free, accessible wrestling. The deal leverages Tubi's reported 110 million monthly active users. This move follows a similar partnership with Veeps in May and keeps the series available on YouTube and other outlets. Tubi is expanding its wrestling content, also hosting WWE Evolve and AEW Dynamite. The agreement highlights the growing trend of wrestling promotions distributing content via FAST platforms.
- MLW and Tubi announced a streaming distribution agreement for 'MLW FUSION'.
- New episodes will stream every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, starting September 17.
- Tubi has approximately 110 million monthly active users.
- ·Cord Cutters NewsMarketing
Tubi Launches Emotional Marketing Campaign with Movie Recommendation Hotline
Tubi, Fox Corporation's free ad-supported streaming service, launched its largest-ever global brand campaign, 'Find Any Feeling For Free,' on September 10, 2026. The campaign connects viewers' emotions with movie and show recommendations, featuring nine 15-second commercials created with agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address. In the US, Tubi introduced TubiFone, a hotline (1-833-605-TUBI) where callers receive personalized suggestions based on their mood. This launch coincides with Tubi announcing over 110 million monthly active users, a 14% year-over-year increase, across markets including the US, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, UK, and Australia. CMO Nicole Parlapiano emphasized that content choices are often driven by emotional needs, and the campaign taps into that. The initiative aims to strengthen Tubi's brand as a destination for free, emotionally resonant content.
- Tubi launched its largest-ever global campaign 'Find Any Feeling For Free' on September 10, 2026.
- The campaign includes nine 15-second commercials created with Mischief @ No Fixed Address.
- A TubiFone hotline (1-833-605-TUBI) in the US offers interactive movie recommendations based on mood.
- ·Cord Cutters NewsVideo Streaming Platform
Tubi Launches Permanent Horror Hub
Tubi announced the launch of the Terror on Tubi Hub, a permanent hub for horror content across its platform. Tubi says users stream over 53 million hours of horror each month and the service offers more than 13,000 hours of horror programming. The hub will centralize existing horror titles and add new Tubi Original feature films (including Buzzkill and R.L. Stine’s: Pumpkinhead 2) plus creator-led series. Terror on Tubi will be available on web, mobile and connected devices and will roll out in Canada, the U.K., Australia, and Latin America with region-tailored content.
- Tubi launched the Terror on Tubi Hub as a permanent destination for horror content.
- Tubi reports users stream over 53 million hours of horror per month on the platform.
- Tubi has more than 13,000 hours of horror content available.
Compare their exact ecosystem overlaps.
Explore all deep relationships in Polaris7. Discover exactly which mutual clients, integrated technologies, and overlapping partners DIRECTV and Tubi share across the market ecosystem.