How Tubi thinks its free NFL stream on Thanksgiving can hook football fans on its quirky shows

• Popular free streaming service Tubi is airing Fox's Thanksgiving Day NFL game.
• It's the latest example of sports being available outside traditional TV.
• Tubi's marketing chief shared how the streamer is pairing live events with shoulder content.

Tubi is best known for its free slate of Gen Z-friendly shows and nostalgia-inducing movies, but sports have played a small yet important role in its rise.

The Fox-owned free streamer, which became profitable for the first time last quarter, made a name for itself in 2023 with a viral Super Bowl ad. That month, Tubi ranked on Nielsen's ratings chart for the first time. Tubi reintroduced itself to football fans in February by streaming the Super Bowl at no cost. At its peak, more than 15 million people tuned into Tubi's Super Bowl simulcast.

Nine months later, Tubi's NFL strategy is again in the spotlight as it streams a Thanksgiving showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions for free. Turkey Day games are among the biggest TV events of the year, with a record 141 million viewers tuning in for last year's three games.

Tubi marketing chief Nicole Parlapiano said broadcasting these "mini Super Bowls" can both serve casual sports fans and introduce them to Tubi and its mix of quirky movies and shows.

Fittingly, Tubi is debuting football-themed rom-com "Sidelined 2: Intercepted" on Thanksgiving. The original flick found an audience after premiering on Black Friday last year. Parlapiano said she expects those who try Tubi to stick around, just like many did after the Super Bowl.

"We expect retention to be really high, especially as you're going into a Thanksgiving Day weekend," Parlapiano told Business Insider. "People are looking to watch movies and shows all weekend."

Although sports fans won't confuse Tubi with ESPN, Fox's free streamer is dipping its toes in the water with live events. Besides airing occasional NFL games, Tubi has Liga MX soccer games in Mexico and will show the coming World Baseball Classic in March, which will also be on Fox's broadcast and cable channels, plus its $20-per-month streamer.

In some ways, Tubi's event-focused strategy is similar to Netflix's approach to sports. The streaming giant has gone after high-profile events like Christmas Day NFL games and buzzy one-off stunts like the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match, both of which brought in tons of new subscribers.

"When it comes to live, it's tentpole moments that transcend your hardcore sports fans," Parlapiano said.

Don't expect Tubi to be a contender for major sports rights. Instead, Parlapiano said its niche in this space is more about sports-adjacent shoulder content, and the occasional Fox simulcast. The free streamer has a documentary on Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward debuting in December and another on a top figure in women's sports coming in 2026.

"When it comes to the overall sports strategy, it's about culturally relevant athletes and talent and storytelling," Parlapiano said.

Sports-adjacent content like documentaries can help "take the helmet off" football players and introduce them to new audiences who might not otherwise care, Parlapiano said.

Tubi has built a substantial fan base of its own. After making Nielsen's monthly gauge chart for the first time in February 2023, its viewership share on US TVs has risen from 1% to 2.2%, which is higher than Peacock, Paramount+, or HBO Max. Fox said its free streamer's revenue last quarter rose 27% year-over-year as viewership time climbed 18%.

Tubi tied its viewership share record in October, and its Super Bowl viewership bump in February suggests another leap could be coming this month as it airs another NFL game.