Tubi’s New Movie Recommendation Method Is Immediately Better Than Netflix’s Algorithim You Should Know

If you have ever sat down to find something to stream, you know that the greatest challenge isn’t that there is nothing to watch it’s that there is plenty to watch but finding something that makes you feel something seems impossible. Do you want to watch something that makes you feel happy? Something to make you cry?  Do you want to contemplate the nature of human existence or just cry out at a stunning jump scare? And if you know how you want to feel, how do you find just the right movie or television show to match? Turns out, Tubi now has you covered with their new recommendation system that is already better than Netflix’s algorithm — and more fun, too.

Launching September 10th, Tubi just kicked off their first-ever global brand campaign, “Find Any Feeling For Free” but it isn’t just clever marketing. While the campaign itself features nine films that follow people going to what the streamer calls “increasingly ridiculous lengths in pursuit of a particular feeling,” each film sees the characters coming to the same conclusion — “Or You Could Tubi” meaning that hitting up Tubi for some free streaming entertainment will give you whatever feeling you’re looking for. And this is where it gets fun. To find your feeling, just call the new TubiFone. It’s a new take on the old-school movie hotline where you dial 1-833-605-TUBI (US only), choose a feeling, and get recommendations to match.

TubiFone May Be a Low-Tech Option But It’s Giving Us Big Nostalgia Feels

You might be asking yourself how calling a hotline to get movie and television recommendations is better than Netflix’s algorithm and if we’re being honest “better’ might be the wrong word here. There is no doubt that Netflix’s suggestion system does a very good job of looking at what you’ve watched and uses it to find you similar content. What makes TubiFone great, however, is the feeling it invokes. Back in the day (man, that makes me sound old) you used to be able to pick up the old landline and call dedicated hotlines to tell you movie showtimes. The most famous such service, Moviefone featured the distinctive “Mr. Moviefone” voiced by Russ Leatherman. They ultimately shut down their phone service in 2014, but the concept remains iconic.

But even beyond the nostalgia TubiFone invokes, there’s a real desire to feel things and have entertainment that feeds those feelings, which is something that Tubi is really going for. TubiFone may feel like a fun gimmick, but their recommendations are very real.

“We are in an era of yearning, where people are looking for experiences that make them feel alive, whether that is through awe, fear, desire, joy or catharsis,” Tubi’s chief marketing officer Nicole Parlapiano said. “What we choose to watch is deeply personal and is often driven by what we want to feel next. ‘Find Any Feeling For Free’ taps into that very human impulse and gives people an emotional reason to turn to Tubi.”

If you don’t want to check out the new TubiFone, don’t worry we have you covered with our list of new September additions to the free streaming platform right here, too.