Julia Stoll
Research expert covering TV and video media
Free ad-supported streaming TV in the United States - statistics & facts
Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) has been surging in the last few years, especially in the saturated U.S. market, where subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services such as Netflix and Disney+ struggled recently. As a reaction to increasing subscription fees in uncertain economic times, more and more consumers pivot to lower-cost ad-supported streaming options. In fact, a forecast estimated that by 2029, the number of U.S. FAST users will grow to over 80 million. The streaming segment, which features freely available linear programming in exchange for watching commercials, has not only caught the attention of consumers, but also of content owners and marketers.
