Free advertising-supported streaming television (FAST) is a category ofstreaming 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 includePluto TV,Rakuten TV (not available in the United States),The Roku Channel,Samsung TV Plus,Tubi, andXumo. These services stand apart from platforms predominantly featuringuser-generated content (likeYouTube andTwitch), as well as from subscription-based services (likeAmazon Prime Video andNetflix). The term was coined by Alan Wolk to differentiate the category in a December 2018 article in TVREV.[1][2]
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 asE.W. Scripps'Scripps News,PocketWatch andFilmRise that also provide their content for use in linear channels on the aggregator apps.
Content on FAST services can potentially cover alltelevision 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 cablespecialty channels, others may have an even narrowerfocus on a single program or media franchise (such asCops,Baywatch,Unsolved Mysteries, or the American version ofFear Factor).[10] Such single-franchise channels are usually only practical for shows and franchises with an exceptionally large library of episodes; whereas only 65 to100 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 asCheddar andCourt 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 afreemium 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 collectretransmission fees from providers and regain leverage it had lost incarriage 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]
As perNielsen'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, andPluto 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] Tubi's decision to simulcastSuper Bowl LIX with its corporate sisterFox drew 13.6 million viewers, over 10% of the overall viewership, contributing to that event becoming the most-watched event in American television history despite an active boycott against the game.[20]
In January 2024, over 1,500 FAST TV channels are currently in airing in the U.S. across various services.[21]