The state of free streaming TV: FAST’s next phase

Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) is growing quickly, but, more importantly, the benefits that it offers advertisers and publishers are changing – and for the better.

Viewing hours on free streaming channels increased 43% year over year, and adoption continues to rise, with upwards of 45% of U.S. households frequenting at least one FAST service. These figures point to a format that is moving into a more established phase within the booming connected TV (CTV) ecosystem. In May 2025, for instance, streaming surpassed broadcast and cable combined for the first time – a ranking it has maintained ever since. And, ad-supported streaming now accounts for over 45% of ad-supported TV (compared to broadcast now at 29.6% and cable at 24.8%).

At the same time, the content mix has evolved. FAST channels are now home to programming from major networks, studios, and publishers, including live news, sports, and recognizable entertainment titles. And that shift is reshaping how audiences experience free streaming TV, not to mention how the industry values it.

What FAST looks like today

In recent years, FAST channels have become more structured and intentionally curated.

Content is no longer organized purely around large libraries; instead, channels are being built around specific audiences, formats, and viewing behaviors. For viewers, this translates into a more guided experience, where discovery is supported by programming decisions rather than being left to chance.

Investment from major media companies is reinforcing this dynamic. Live news from global brands like the E.W. Scripps Company, CNN, BBC News, and CNBC is now widely available. Meanwhile, sports and event programming is expanding, including examples like Bundesliga matches on Samsung TV Plus, as well as Roku’s exclusive coverage of the X Games and broader moves into live distribution.

The scale of these investments is beginning to reshape viewer behavior. In 2025, Tubi became the first FAST service to stream the Super Bowl live, marking a major moment for the category. During the event, Tubi accounted for nearly one-third of all streaming TV usage, demonstrating that FAST platforms are increasingly capable of attracting mass audiences for premium live events.

Moves like these have resulted in a massive increase in audience size. Tubi alone surpassed 100 million monthly active users and more than 1 billion viewing hours in a single month in 2025, further demonstrating that free streaming has moved well beyond its early niche status.

For viewers themselves, the appeal remains straightforward. As Leah Pujalte of the VAB puts it, “there’s no barrier to entry,” which makes FAST an accessible way to engage with a wide range of content.

Why FAST is growing

While audiences embrace FAST for its convenience and value, advertisers are embracing it for its scale.

FAST now delivers meaningful incremental reach, particularly among audiences that are less engaged with subscription services – often due to their cost versus their perceived value. In many cases, in fact, advertisers are already reaching these viewers through programmatic CTV buys, even if they’re not aware of FAST specifically.

At the same time, improvements in advertising capabilities, like greater addressability, are bringing more buyers into the space by making the streaming TV buying experience as targeted and flexible as digital media. As Roku’s John Rogers explains, viewers watching the same content can now receive different ads based on available data, which allows campaigns to reach audiences with greater precision.

Scene-level targeting is also opening new opportunities for advertisers to reach audiences more effectively across free streaming channels. By delivering brand messaging alongside relevant, brand-safe content at the scene level, advertisers can move beyond broad exclusions and engage with content categories that have historically been avoided – like News – with greater precision and confidence.

There is a reinforcing cycle at play here. Rogers describes it simply: “the more that we can monetize on a platform, the better the content can be […]. The better the content is, the more people come.” And in turn, growing audiences create even greater opportunities for advertisers.

This flywheel is already visible in the data, with FAST ad revenues projected to exceed $12 billion by 2027, more than doubling from current levels.

How advertisers can capitalize on FAST

As FAST matures, advertisers have more ways than ever to activate against its growing audiences.

The expanding viewer base creates opportunities for incremental reach at scale, while addressability enables more precise targeting within the same content environment. Campaigns can be tailored to different audience segments, even as they tune into the same channels. One such audience, for instance, are younger viewers, as more than two-thirds of younger generations already subscribe to a FAST service.

Creative opportunities are also expanding. From standard video formats to shoppable and interactive ads, FAST channels support a range of approaches that drive both consumer awareness and action. Partners like Transmit already provide access to innovative in-stream ad formats – such as Picture-in-Picture (PIP), Overlay, and L-bar – that allow ads to seamlessly integrate into the viewing experience.

As measurement continues to improve, it will become even easier to evaluate FAST alongside other digital channels. Campaign performance can already be tracked consistently, helping advertisers understand how streaming contributes across the funnel and making FAST an increasingly attractive destination for both brand and performance budgets.

What this means for publishers and content owners

For publishers, FAST continues to light new paths for distribution, content discovery, and monetization.

Channels can scale quickly across platforms, reaching audiences wherever they watch. This is particularly important as streaming fragmentation remains a core industry challenge.

At the same time, multiple revenue streams (from programmatic demand to direct deals and sponsorships) create more flexibility in how inventory is monetized.

Live programming is playing an increasingly important role here. Events such as sports and special broadcasts create premium, high-attention inventory, while also driving spikes in viewership and longer session times, all of which contribute to stronger monetization potential.

More structured programming and improved discovery are also helping retain audiences over time. With nuanced insight into how viewers actually engage, publishers can adjust schedules and content strategies to improve both engagement and, ultimately, revenue.

The future of FAST

In today’s CTV ecosystem, FAST is quickly becoming an integral part of how audiences watch and how media is planned.

Growth in viewership, improvements in content quality, and advances in advertising are all reinforcing each other. Accessibility continues to bring in new audiences, larger audiences attract more advertisers, and better monetization funds higher-quality programming. The flywheel keeps turning.

In the process, FAST is quietly redefining what television looks like in a streaming-first world – combining the best of linear and digital into a single, increasingly powerful channel.