Free ad-supported streaming television

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Free advertising-supported streaming television (FAST) is a category of streaming television services which offer traditional linear television programming ("live TV") and studio-produced movies without a paid subscription, funded exclusively by advertising akin to over-the-air or cable TV stations. Platforms following this model include Pluto TV, Rakuten TV (not available in the United States), The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, and Xumo. These services stand apart from platforms predominantly featuring user-generated content (like YouTube and Twitch), as well as from subscription-based services (like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix). The term was coined by Alan Wolk to differentiate the category in a December 2018 article in TVREV. [1] [2]

Contents

Platforms

The FAST ecosystem has several layers. The best-known FASTs are the aggregators, which fall into three categories.

These aggregators operate primarily in the United States as of 2024, though some, like Pluto TV, [6] Plex, [7] and Samsung TV Plus [8] operate in additional countries or worldwide.

In addition to aggregator apps, there are FASTs run by a single provider such as E.W. Scripps' Scripps News, PocketWatch and FilmRise that also provide their content for use in linear channels on the aggregator apps.

Content and channels

Content on FAST services can potentially cover all television genres as well as movies, which are the most popular type of content on the FASTs. [9] Content options can include original and/or archive programming not available through subscription streaming services. Although many FAST channels resemble traditional cable specialty channels, others may have an even narrower focus on a single program or media franchise (such as Cops , Baywatch , Unsolved Mysteries , or the American version of Fear Factor ). [10] Such single-franchise channels are usually only practical for shows and franchises with an exceptionally large library of episodes; whereas only 65 to 100 episodes are required for traditional broadcast syndication, a 24-hour FAST channel may require 500 episodes. [11]

While some linear FAST channels are exclusive to specific platforms, others, such as Cheddar and Court TV are distributed through multiple providers. Such shared channels may feature different content and presentation, or may feature less or more total commercials depending on the provider. [12] Linear channels that are carried both on subscription multichannel television and on FAST services usually have different program lineups for each, effectively creating a freemium model; Newsmax TV, which previously carried the same content on both feeds, downgraded its FAST feed to "Newsmax2," with reduced content, to allow the multichannel service to collect retransmission fees from providers and regain leverage it had lost in carriage disputes by offering its main feed free. [13] FASTs owned by major media companies have the advantage of being able to leverage their parent companies' archival libraries. [14] [15]

Variety estimated that 1,455 linear channels were available through major FAST platforms as of June 2022. [16] By May 2024, that number had risen to 1,943. [17]

Growing popularity

As per Nielsen's monthly streaming ratings for the US market, called "The Gauge", three of the FAST services were in the Top 10 of all streaming services in 2023. In the September 2023 ratings, [18] Tubi, with 1.3% of viewing, ranked fifth among all streaming services, The Roku Channel, with 1.1% ranked seventh, and Pluto TV, with 0.8% ranked tenth. Tubi noted in January 2025 that only 5% of its viewership came from the live streaming channels section of the Tubi app, which emphasizes its on-demand offerings more than its live linear-oriented competitors do. [19]

In January 2024, over 1,500 FAST TV channels are currently in airing in the U.S. across various services. [20]

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References

  1. ↑ Hayes, Dade (December 14, 2022). "Free, Ad-Supported Television Is Catching On FAST: Boosters Hail It As Second Coming Of Cable, But Just How Big Is Its Upside?". Deadline. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Week In Review: AT&T Reveals The Three Faces Of Warner, Pluto Discovers Europe". TVREV. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  3. ↑ "'BINGE Korea' FAST Platform Launches in the U.S." Variety. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  4. ↑ Bouma, Luke (February 1, 2024). "Meet Zeam a New Free Streaming Service Focused on Local News, Sports, & Culture". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  5. ↑ Cheng, Roger (February 14, 2024). "Zeam, a Free Streaming Service Featuring Local News, Travel and Sports Content, is Now Live". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  6. ↑ Manfredi, Lucas (December 1, 2022). "Paramount Global Debuts Pluto TV in Canada" . Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  7. ↑ Perez, Sarah (July 23, 2020). "Plex launches a live TV service with over 80 free channels, most available worldwide". TechCrunch. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  8. ↑ Spangler, Todd (August 30, 2022). "Samsung TV Plus Launches Rebrand, Unveils New Content Partnerships". Variety. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  9. ↑ "The FAST And The Serious". TVREV. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  10. ↑ Bridge, Gavin (July 1, 2022). "The FAST Approach to Streaming Content: A Special Report". Variety . Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  11. ↑ Adalian, Josef (July 11, 2022). "You'll Soon Be Able to Get a 24/7 Stream of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune". Vulture . New York Magazine. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  12. ↑ Pierce, David (March 30, 2017). "Inside Cheddar, the Would-Be CNBC of the Internet". Wired. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  13. ↑ Keys, Matthew (November 5, 2023). "Newsmax puts streaming channel behind a paywall, launches free headlines channel "Newsmax 2"". The Desk. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  14. ↑ Hayes, Dade (October 31, 2022). "Pluto TV To Add 6,300-Plus Episodes From CBS Vault To Its Free Streaming Service As Paramount Global Divisions Harmonize". Deadline. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  15. ↑ Peterson, Tim (August 6, 2019). "WTF is FAST?". Digiday . Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  16. ↑ Bridge, Gavin (July 11, 2022). "What to Expect Next in FAST". Variety . Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  17. ↑ Keys, Matthew (May 2024). "Free streaming channel count drops slightly to 1,943, report says". The Desk. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Sports gave broadcast channels a second straight month of viewing gains in September". Nielsen. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  19. ↑ Weprin, Alex (January 15, 2025). "Tubi to Stream Super Bowl LIX Live in First for Fox-Owned Platform". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  20. ↑ Hayes, Dade (January 17, 2024). "Are We Reaching Peak FAST? With The Number Of Channels North Of 1,500 In The U.S., Industry Execs See A Shakeout Coming – But That May Not Be A Bad Thing". Deadline. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
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