Nostalgia no more: FAST channels are redefining free streaming TV

When free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services first arrived, they were heavily reliant on reruns and movies from the 70s, 80s and 90s. They also became a distribution option for creators and owners who weren’t able to tap into more mainstream channels. 

Today, FAST services look much different. 

Not only are big media brands (e.g., CNN, BBC, Motor Trend, Lionsgate) becoming increasingly present across the growing number of FAST channels, they’re infusing them with an influx of newer programming.

On a percentage basis, the five subscription video on-demand (SVOD) providers¹ tracked in Gracenote’s Data Hub now distribute more pre-1990 content than global FAST channels do. And somewhat more surprisingly, FAST channels now distribute a greater percentage of content produced since 2020 than the five global SVOD providers do.

Much of the evolution of content distribution in FAST stems from the investments of industry heavyweights like FOX, Paramount, Amazon and Comcast, which have elevated the status of FAST services while up-leveling channel programming along the way. Tubi even offered a live stream of Super Bowl LIX—a first for FAST. The result? An abundance of newer content that audiences can anonymously access for free without any subscriptions or logins.

The response from audiences during the evolution, especially over the past few years, has been pronounced. In January 2025, viewers in the U.S. spent a combined 4.7% of their total TV time watching content on The Roku Channel, Tubi and Pluto TV, the three FAST services included in Nielsen’s The Gauge. That represents an increase of 41% since January 2024.

In addition to growing audience engagement, the steady addition of more recent TV programming aligns with the content distribution strategies that have consistently driven the biggest impact across SVOD services. Specifically, licensed TV programming on SVOD platforms drives more viewing time than original shows and movies. And what’s more, TV content from 2000-2018 drives the most time spent.

In total, the 10 most-watched licensed TV shows drove more than 570 billion viewing minutes—more than double the viewing minutes viewers spent watching the top 10 originals and movies (205.4 billion combined). Additionally, eight of the programs were among the top 10 most-watched in 2023, and minutes viewed increased on a year-over-year basis. Two of them, NCIS and Criminal Minds, are also now streaming on FAST channels.

Rising viewership on FAST channels and audience engagement across SVOD platforms points to a notable opportunity in FAST, given the relatively low number of channels for program genres that perform well on SVOD platforms. Crime and drama, for example, account for just 11% of the 1,653 active FAST channels tracked in Gracenote’s Global Video Data as of March 2025. Animation channels accounted for just 1%, and kids and family channels accounted for 2.4%.

Despite the relative infancy of FAST channels², their impact is unmistakable and growing. The combination of familiar user experiences, increasing internet connectivity among viewers, expanding content variety, streaming subscription fatigue and anonymous, free access are driving audience engagement with FAST channels and platforms.

While platforms can leverage metadata to differentiate their individual user experiences, they can also partner with channel distributors to invest in program content and genres that have proven successful in other segments of the broader streaming landscape.

For additional FAST insights, download our 2025 FAST report. 

Notes

1. Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+ have scaled to distribute video globally and are tracked in at least nine countries within Gracenote’s video database.
2. Pluto TV and Tubi were among the first FAST platforms to debut, launching in 2013 and 2014, respectively.