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Since 2019, the streaming service industry has only gotten more and more competitive. This has led to new alliances and re-bundling efforts between the largest services, but it has also spurred the rise of a different kind of streaming – free ad-supported streaming television (FAST). Here’s the rundown on FAST and what its popularity means for the industry.
The Streaming Boom in Online Entertainment
The surge in FAST popularity is ultimately a reaction to the streaming boom and the influx of options presented to streaming audiences. Every platform comes with a cost and, with so many platforms, users become less incentivized to subscribe to multiple services.
Of course, streaming didn’t get popular in a vacuum. It was a perfect storm helped by new streaming solutions, smartphones, then smart TVs in the 2010s, and then finally the big boom in 2020. Over that time, internet users also got more familiar with online business models like e-commerce and iGaming. The popularity of these services has also steadily increased over time, as users look to buy products or play online slot games for real money. Now, audiences are well acquainted with the concept of using a digital library hosted online, whether it hosts streamed movies or a collection of casino game simulations.
FAST emerged before the 2020 streaming boom, thanks to services like Pluto TV and Tubi. While they found initial success, these services have seen a bump in popularity throughout 2023. This led to a Nielsen report declaring that FAST has made linear TV cool again. FAST occupies something of a halfway point between streamed media and traditional television, allowing users to tune into linear programming or even access a library of media, all for free so long as the user tolerates ads.
New FAST Services Are Coming
While Pluto TV and Tubi lead the pack, there are many thousands of FAST channels spread across the world’s biggest TV markets. Amazon already has their own FAST service through Freevee, while Netflix has publicly voiced an interest in a FAST channel. Meanwhile, 2024 has already seen multiple announcements for more FAST services.
For example, over 100+ FAST channels have launched under the Free Live Sports platform, already the largest in the sports industry. This is coming during a high-profile feeding frenzy for streaming broadcast rights between the leading streaming services. As streamers move into sports broadcasting even more, it’s likely that we’ll see FAST solutions pop up to cater to fans who don’t want to buy multiple subscriptions to follow their favorite teams.
Other launches include legacy programming distributor DirecTV, who has also started to build its FAST library with aims to grow it in 2025. There are also more niche platforms that target certain areas or specific kinds of content, like Willow Sports offering FAST channels for North American cricket.
FAST is Convenient to Streaming Audiences
For the wider programming industry, FAST proves once again that convenience is king. Business models like Netflix took over the world because on-demand video allowed users to watch what they want, when they want. Now users are more than willing to tolerate ads instead of paying for multiple services.
The solution for streamers is clear – merge if possible and negotiate bundling deals with competitors. If what we have seen in 2023 and 2024 is any indication, streamers are clearly opting for this strategy to keep prices manageable for the consumer.
In the near future, we can expect more FAST services to launch and find an audience that isn’t put off by ads. Since many FAST services offer linear TV channels, it could mark a return to an older way of watching TV through pre-determined schedules.
