Free Ad-supported Streaming Television Channels
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Free advertising-supported streaming television (FAST) is a category of
streaming television Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as films and television series, streamed over the Internet. Standing in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aerial systems, cable t ...
services which offer traditional linear television programming ("live TV") and studio-produced movies without a paid subscription, funded exclusively by advertising akin to
free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscri ...
TV stations. Platforms following this model include
Pluto TV Pluto TV is an American free ad-supported streaming television service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global. Founded by Tom Ryan (business executive), Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin and Nick Grouf in 2013 and based in ...
,
Rakuten TV Rakuten TV is a video-on-demand (VOD) and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform, providing movies and TV series for subscription, rental, and purchase as well as FAST channels with a mix of local and global content. Since 2019, ...
(not available in the United States, but added internationally),
The Roku Channel The Roku Channel is an over-the-top video streaming service available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the UK. The service was launched in 2017, and is owned and operated by Roku, Inc. It is the most popular free ad-supported streaming televisio ...
,
Samsung TV Plus Samsung TV Plus is a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service owned by Samsung Electronics that was introduced in 2015. The platform was designed to provide free, live streaming content for users with Samsung devices. As of 2022, the ...
,
Tubi Tubi (stylized as tubi) is an American over-the-top ad-supported streaming television service owned by Fox Corporation since 2020. The service was launched on April 1, 2014, and is based in Los Angeles, California. In 2023, Tubi, Credible L ...
, and
Xumo Xumo, LLC ( ) is an American internet television and consumer electronics company. It is a joint venture of Charter Communications and Comcast that operates the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) and advertising video on demand (AVOD ...
. These services stand apart from platforms predominantly featuring
user-generated content User-generated content (UGC), alternatively known as user-created content (UCC), emerged from the rise of web services which allow a system's User (computing), users to create Content (media), content, such as images, videos, audio, text, testi ...
(like
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
and
Twitch Twitch may refer to: Biology * Muscle contraction ** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation ** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction ** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle c ...
), as well as from subscription-based services (like
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
and
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
). The term was coined by Alan Wolk to differentiate the category in a December 2018 article in TVREV.


Platforms

The FAST ecosystem has different layers. The best-known FASTs are the aggregators, which fall into three categories. * FASTs owned by major media companies by every country:
Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...
's
Pluto TV Pluto TV is an American free ad-supported streaming television service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global. Founded by Tom Ryan (business executive), Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin and Nick Grouf in 2013 and based in ...
,
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
's
Tubi Tubi (stylized as tubi) is an American over-the-top ad-supported streaming television service owned by Fox Corporation since 2020. The service was launched on April 1, 2014, and is based in Los Angeles, California. In 2023, Tubi, Credible L ...
,
Charter Communications Charter Communications, Inc., is an American telecommunications and mass media company with services branded as Spectrum. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. With over 32 million customers in 41 states as of 2022, it is the ...
and
Comcast Comcast Corporation, formerly known as Comcast Holdings,Before the AT&T Broadband, AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, not th ...
's
Xumo Xumo, LLC ( ) is an American internet television and consumer electronics company. It is a joint venture of Charter Communications and Comcast that operates the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) and advertising video on demand (AVOD ...
Play,
Dish Network DISH Network L.L.C., often referred to as DISH, an abbreviation for Digital Sky Highway, is an American provider of satellite television and IPTV services and wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation. The company was originally establ ...
's
Sling Freestream Sling TV is an American streaming television service operated by Sling TV LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dish Network. Unveiled on January 5, 2015, at the Consumer Electronics Show, the virtual multichannel video programming distributor aims ...
, ITV’s
ITVX ITVX is a British Over-the-top media services, over-the-top and ad-supported Streaming television, streaming service operated by ITV plc. The service offers original content from the broadcaster, livestreams of the ITV television channels, Free ...
service (UK), NEW ID's BINGE Korea,
Allen Media Group Allen Media Group, alternately known by its former name of Entertainment Studios, Inc. is an American media and entertainment company based in Los Angeles. Owned and founded in 1993 by businessman Byron Allen, the company was initially involved ...
's
Local Now Local Now (stylized as "local now") is an American over-the-top internet television service owned by The Weather Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Allen Media Group. A spinoff of The Weather Channel, Local Now primarily provides a cyclic playlist of w ...
, along
Gray Television Gray Media, Inc., doing business as Gray Television, is an American publicly traded television broadcasting company based in Atlanta. Founded in 1946 by James Harrison Gray as Gray Communications Systems, the company owns or operates 180 statio ...
with
National Association of Broadcasters The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is a Industry trade group, trade association and lobbying, lobby group representing the interests of commercial and non-commercial over-the-air radio and television broadcasting, broadcasters in th ...
and Syncbak's Zeam. * FASTs owned by device manufacturers:
Amazon Freevee Amazon Freevee (stylized as freevee and fv, also shortened as Freevee, formerly known as IMDb Freedive and IMDb TV, and sometimes spelled FV) is an American Free ad-supported streaming television, ad-supported video on demand, video-on-demand ( ...
(formerly known as
IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
TV),
The Roku Channel The Roku Channel is an over-the-top video streaming service available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the UK. The service was launched in 2017, and is owned and operated by Roku, Inc. It is the most popular free ad-supported streaming televisio ...
,
Samsung TV Plus Samsung TV Plus is a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service owned by Samsung Electronics that was introduced in 2015. The platform was designed to provide free, live streaming content for users with Samsung devices. As of 2022, the ...
, LG Channels,
Vizio Vizio is an American designer of televisions, soundbars, and related software and accessories owned by Walmart since 2024. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Irvine, California.Lawton, Christopher, Iwatani Kane, Yukari and Dean, J ...
WatchFree+, and TCL Electronics' TCL Channel. * Independent FASTs:
Plex Plex Inc. is an American software company that runs its namesake over-the-top ad-supported streaming television service and develops media server software that lets users stream their personal media collections to their devices. The company is ...
, Chicken Soup For The Soul's Crackle and
Redbox Redbox Automated Retail, LLC was an American video rental and streaming media company, based in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois west of Chicago. Redbox specialized in automated DVD rental kiosks, and operated transactional and ad-supported streamin ...
Free Live TV, Mometu, Herogo TV, and Flixhouse. These aggregators operate primarily in the United States as of 2025, though some, like Pluto TV, Plex, and Samsung TV Plus operate in additional regions or worldwide. In addition to aggregator apps, there are FASTs run by a single provider such as Scripps' news division,
PocketWatch A pocket watch is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist. They were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wristwatches became popul ...
and
FilmRise FilmRise is an American media company, headquartered in New York City, that operates a film and television studio and a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) network. As of November 2024, the FilmRise app has reported more than 31.5 milli ...
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 films, which are the most popular type of content on the FASTs. Content options can include original and/or archive programming not available through subscription streaming services. Although many FAST channels resemble traditional cable
specialty channel A specialty channel (also known in the United States as a cable channel or cable network) can be a commercial broadcasting or non-commercial television channel which consists of television programming focused on a single genre, subject or targete ...
s, others may have an even narrower focus on a single program or media franchise (such as '' Cops'', ''
Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American Drama (film and television), drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz ...
'', ''
Unsolved Mysteries ''Unsolved Mysteries'' is an American mystery documentary television series, created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer. Documenting cold cases and paranormal phenomena, it began as a series of seven specials, presented by Raymond Burr, Kar ...
'', or the American version of ''
Fear Factor ''Fear Factor'' is an American stunt/ dare game show that first aired on NBC from 2001 to 2006 and was initially hosted by comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan. The show was adapted by Endemol USA from the original Dutch series titled '' ...
''). Such single-franchise channels are usually only practical for shows and franchises with an exceptionally large library of episodes; whereas only 65 to
100 episodes In the U.S. television industry, 100 episodes is the traditional threshold for a television series to enter syndicated reruns. One hundred episodes are advantageous for stripped syndication because it allows for 20 weeks of weekday reruns (dep ...
are required for traditional broadcast syndication, a 24-hour FAST channel may require 500 episodes. While some linear FAST channels are exclusive to specific platforms, others, such as Cheddar and
Court TV Court TV is an American digital broadcast network and former pay-television channel. It was originally launched in 1991 with a focus on crime-themed programs such as true crime documentary series, legal analysis talk shows, and live news cover ...
are distributed through several providers. Such shared channels may include different content and presentation, or may feature less or more total commercials depending on the provider. Linear channels that are carried both on subscription multichannel television and on FAST services usually have various program lineups for each, effectively creating a
freemium Freemium, a portmanteau of the words "free" and "premium", is a pricing strategy by which a basic product or service is provided free of charge, but money (a premium) is charged for additional features, services, or virtual (online) or physical ( ...
model;
Newsmax TV Newsmax TV is an American television channel owned by Newsmax described as conservative, right-wing, and far-right. The network primarily focuses on political opinion-based talk shows. It carries a news/talk format throughout the day and night ...
, which previously carried the same content on both feeds, downgraded its FAST feed to "Newsmax2," with reduced content, to allow the multichannel service to collect retransmission fees from providers and regain leverage it had lost in
carriage disputes A carriage dispute is a disagreement over the right to "carry", that is, retransmit, a broadcasting, broadcaster's signal. Carriage disputes first occurred between broadcasters and cable television, cable companies and now include direct broadcast ...
by offering its main feed free. FASTs owned by major media companies have the advantage of being able to leverage their parent companies' archival libraries. ''Variety'' estimated that 1,455 linear channels were available through major FAST platforms as of June 2022. By May 2024, that number had risen to 1,943.


Growing popularity

As per Nielsen's monthly streaming ratings for the US market, dubbed "The Gauge", three of the FAST services were in the Top 10 of all streaming services in 2023. In the September 2023 ratings,
Tubi Tubi (stylized as tubi) is an American over-the-top ad-supported streaming television service owned by Fox Corporation since 2020. The service was launched on April 1, 2014, and is based in Los Angeles, California. In 2023, Tubi, Credible L ...
, with 1.3% of viewing, ranked fifth among all streaming services,
The Roku Channel The Roku Channel is an over-the-top video streaming service available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the UK. The service was launched in 2017, and is owned and operated by Roku, Inc. It is the most popular free ad-supported streaming televisio ...
, with 1.1% ranked seventh, and
Pluto TV Pluto TV is an American free ad-supported streaming television service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global. Founded by Tom Ryan (business executive), Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin and Nick Grouf in 2013 and based in ...
, with 0.8% ranked tenth. Tubi noted in January 2025 that only 5% of its viewership came from the live streaming channels section of the Tubi app, which emphasizes its on-demand offerings more than its live linear-oriented competitors do. Tubi's decision to simulcast
Super Bowl LIX Super Bowl LIX was an American football championship game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2024 NFL season, 2024 season. In a rematch of Super Bowl LVII two years prior, the National Football Conf ...
with its corporate sister
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
drew 13.6 million viewers, over 10% of the overall viewership, contributing to that event becoming the most-watched event in American television history despite an active boycott against the game. In January 2024, over 1,500 FAST TV channels are currently in airing in the U.S. across various services.


References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite web, url=https://digiday.com/future-of-tv/wtf-is-fast/, title=WTF is FAST?, first=Tim, last=Peterson, work=
Digiday ''Digiday'' is an online trade magazine for online media founded in 2008 by Nick Friese. It is headquartered in New York City, with offices in London and Tokyo. Description ''Digiday'' provides daily online news about advertising, publishing, a ...
, date=August 6, 2019, access-date=July 29, 2022
{{cite web, url=https://variety.com/vip/what-to-expect-next-in-fast-1235312288/, title=What to Expect Next in FAST, first=Gavin, last=Bridge, work=
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
, date=July 11, 2022, access-date=August 5, 2022
{{cite web, url=https://variety.com/vip-special-reports/the-fast-approach-to-streaming-content-a-special-report-1235302920/, title=The FAST Approach to Streaming Content: A Special Report, first=Gavin, last=Bridge, work=
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
, date=July 1, 2022, access-date=August 5, 2022
{{cite magazine, last1=Pierce, first1=David, title=Inside Cheddar, the Would-Be CNBC of the Internet, url=https://www.wired.com/2017/03/inside-cheddar-cnbc-internet/, access-date=August 5, 2022, magazine=Wired, date=March 30, 2017 {{Cite web , last=Hayes , first=Dade , date=2022-12-14 , title=Free, Ad-Supported Television Is Catching On FAST: Boosters Hail It As Second Coming Of Cable, But Just How Big Is Its Upside? , url=https://deadline.com/2022/12/free-ad-supported-television-fast-cable-tv-svod-streaming-1235192183/ , access-date=2024-07-11 , website=Deadline , language=en-US {{Cite web , title=‘BINGE Korea’ FAST Platform Launches in the U.S. , url=https://variety.com/2023/streaming/news/binge-korea-fast-platform-launches-in-the-u-s-new-id-next-entertainment-world-kcontent-1235694074/ , access-date=2023-01-09, website=Variety , language=en-US {{Cite web , last=Manfredi , first=Lucas , date=December 1, 2022 , title=Paramount Global Debuts Pluto TV in Canada , url=https://www.thewrap.com/pluto-tv-paramount-gobal-canada-debut/ , access-date=December 8, 2022 , language=en-US {{Cite web , last=Perez , first=Sarah , date=July 23, 2020 , title=Plex launches a live TV service with over 80 free channels, most available worldwide , url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/23/plex-launches-a-live-tv-service-with-over-80-free-channels-most-available-worldwide/ , access-date=December 8, 2022 , website=TechCrunch , language=en-US {{Cite web , last=Spangler , first=Todd , date=August 30, 2022 , title=Samsung TV Plus Launches Rebrand, Unveils New Content Partnerships , url=https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/samsung-tv-plus-rebrand-content-partnerships-1235354556/ , access-date=December 8, 2022 , website=Variety , language=en-US {{Cite web , title=The FAST And The Serious , url=https://www.tvrev.com/news/shapirofastmap , access-date=December 8, 2022 , website=TVREV , language=en-US {{Cite web , last=Hayes , first=Dade , date=October 31, 2022 , title=Pluto TV To Add 6,300-Plus Episodes From CBS Vault To Its Free Streaming Service As Paramount Global Divisions Harmonize , url=https://deadline.com/2022/10/pluto-tv-cbs-episodes-free-streaming-service-paramount-global-1235159033/ , access-date=December 8, 2022 , website=Deadline , language=en-US {{Cite web , last=Keys , first=Matthew , date=May 2024 , title=Free streaming channel count drops slightly to 1,943, report says , url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/free-streaming-channel-count-drops-slightly-to-1-943-report-says/ar-BB1mKHbz , access-date=2024-06-01 , website=The Desk {{cite web , title=Sports gave broadcast channels a second straight month of viewing gains in September , url=https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2023/sports-gave-broadcast-channels-a-second-straight-month-of-viewing-gains-in-september/ , website=Nielsen , access-date=1 August 2024 {{Cite web , last=Hayes , first=Dade , date=2024-01-17 , title=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 , url=https://deadline.com/2024/01/fast-channels-tv-viewing-natpe-executives-1235794437/ , access-date=2024-01-31 , website=Deadline 2018 neologisms Streaming television Internet broadcasting New media