Engineering:Free ad-supported streaming television

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Short description: Category of streaming TV services

Free advertising supported streaming television (FAST) is a category of streaming television services, akin to linear or cable TV, represented by platforms such as The Roku Channel, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Samsung TV Plus. These services offer traditional television programming and studio-produced movies without a paid subscription, funded exclusively by advertising. They stand apart from platforms predominantly featuring user-generated content like YouTube and Twitch, as well as from subscription-based ad-supported services like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

FAST services have both linear channels (sometimes referred to as "FAST channels") and video on demand content. The earliest documented use of the term was in a December 2018 article by media analyst Alan Wolk about Pluto TV.[1][2][3][4] Wolk came up with the term as a way to differentiate between subscription ad-supported streaming TV services like Hulu and free ad-supported linear streaming TV services like Pluto TV.[5]

Platforms

The FAST ecosystem has several layers. The best-known FASTs are the aggregators, which fall into three categories.[6]

  • FASTs owned by major media companies: Paramount's Pluto TV, Fox's Tubi, Charter Communications and Comcast's Xumo Play, Dish Network's Sling Freestream, ITV’s ITVX service, and Allen Media Group's Local Now.
  • FASTs owned by device manufacturers: Amazon Freevee (previously IMDb TV), The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, Vizio WatchFree+, and TCL Electronics' TCL Channel.
  • Independent FASTs: Plex, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment’s Crackle and Redbox Free Live TV, Mometu, Herogo TV, and Flixhouse.

These aggregators operate primarily in the United States as of 2022, though some, like Pluto TV,[7] Plex,[8] and Samsung TV Plus[9] 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.[10] Content options can include original and/or archive programming not available through subscription streaming services. Although many linear channels on FAST services resemble cable-style specialty channels, some have an even narrower focus on a single long-running program or media franchise and may share the name of the show featured such as channels that only show reruns of shows such as Sailor Moon and the US version of Fear Factor.[11] While some linear FAST channels are exclusive to specific platforms, some, such as Cheddar, Court TV, and the previously mentioned Fear Factor channel are distributed through multiple providers, though shared channels may feature different content, presentation, and may feature less or more total commericals depending on the FAST provider.[12] FASTs owned by major media companies have the advantage of being able to leverage their parent companies extensive libraries.[13]

Variety estimated that 1,455 linear channels were available through major FAST platforms as of June 2022.[14]

Growing popularity

As per Nielsen's monthly streaming ratings for the US market, called The Gauge, three of the FAST services are now in the Top 10 of all streaming services. As of the September 2023 ratings, Tubi, with 1.3% of viewing, ranks fifth among all streaming services, The Roku Channel, with 1.1% ranks seventh, and Pluto TV, with 0.8% ranks tenth. (While The Gauge consistently shows YouTube to be the most watched streaming service on television sets, there is much debate in the industry as to whether YouTube, with its preponderance of user-generated content, is actually "TV".) As of Jnaury 2024 it is reported that over 1,500 Fast TV channels are currently in airing in the U.S. across various services.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Week In Review: AT&T Reveals The Three Faces Of Warner, Pluto Discovers Europe" (in en-US). https://www.tvrev.com/news/week-review-att-reveals-three-faces-warner-pluto-discovers-europe. 
  2. ↑ Peterson, Tim (August 6, 2019). "WTF is FAST?". Digiday. https://digiday.com/future-of-tv/wtf-is-fast/. 
  3. ↑ Wolk, Alan (January 1, 2019). "The Year Ahead. Our Fearless Predictions For 2019, Part 1 of 2". TVRev. https://www.tvrev.com/news/tvrevs-2019-predictions-part-1-of-2. 
  4. ↑ Maglio, Tony (April 22, 2022). "Pluto TV Was an April Fool's Punchline 8 Years Ago. Today It's the Future of Streaming" (in en). https://www.indiewire.com/2022/04/pluto-tv-future-of-streaming-1234716270/. 
  5. ↑ Hayes, Dade (2022-12-14). "Free, Ad-Supported Television Is Catching On FAST: Boosters Hail It As Second Coming Of Cable, But Just How Big Is Its Upside?" (in en-US). https://deadline.com/2022/12/free-ad-supported-television-fast-cable-tv-svod-streaming-1235192183/. 
  6. ↑ Dixon, Colin (August 5, 2022). "Inside the Stream – Can FASTs become the new cable TV?" (in en-US). https://nscreenmedia.com/inside-the-stream-fasts-the-new-cable-tv/. 
  7. ↑ Manfredi, Lucas (December 1, 2022). "Paramount Global Debuts Pluto TV in Canada" (in en-US). https://www.thewrap.com/pluto-tv-paramount-gobal-canada-debut/. 
  8. ↑ Perez, Sarah (July 23, 2020). "Plex launches a live TV service with over 80 free channels, most available worldwide" (in en-US). https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/23/plex-launches-a-live-tv-service-with-over-80-free-channels-most-available-worldwide/. 
  9. ↑ Spangler, Todd (August 30, 2022). "Samsung TV Plus Launches Rebrand, Unveils New Content Partnerships" (in en-US). https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/samsung-tv-plus-rebrand-content-partnerships-1235354556/. 
  10. ↑ "The FAST And The Serious" (in en-US). https://www.tvrev.com/news/shapirofastmap. 
  11. ↑ Bridge, Gavin (July 1, 2022). "The FAST Approach to Streaming Content: A Special Report". Variety. https://variety.com/vip-special-reports/the-fast-approach-to-streaming-content-a-special-report-1235302920/. 
  12. ↑ Pierce, David (March 30, 2017). "Inside Cheddar, the Would-Be CNBC of the Internet". Wired. https://www.wired.com/2017/03/inside-cheddar-cnbc-internet/. Retrieved August 5, 2022. 
  13. ↑ 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" (in en-US). https://deadline.com/2022/10/pluto-tv-cbs-episodes-free-streaming-service-paramount-global-1235159033/. 
  14. ↑ Bridge, Gavin (July 11, 2022). "What to Expect Next in FAST". Variety. https://variety.com/vip/what-to-expect-next-in-fast-1235312288/. 
  15. ↑ Hayes, Dade (2024-01-17). "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". https://deadline.com/2024/01/fast-channels-tv-viewing-natpe-executives-1235794437/. 



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