Free ad-supported streaming television
Category of streaming TV services / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Free advertising supported streaming television (FAST) is a category of streaming television services, akin to linear or cable TV, represented by platforms such as Pluto TV, Rakuten TV, The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, and Xumo. These services offer traditional television programming ("live TV") 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 can be 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-based, ad-supported services like Hulu, and free ad-supported linear streaming TV services like Pluto TV.[5]