FAST ads now draw more attention than any other kind of TV
FAST ads now draw more attention than any other kind of TV
Viewers have completely embraced free streaming platforms, and that love seems to extend even to advertisements.
There’s no denying that free streaming television is here to stay. Platforms that offer free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels have flourished and provide media companies with a steady revenue stream while also allowing viewers to access old favorite TV shows and movies without having to pay a subscription fee.
New data from Samsung Ads shows not only how much the use of FAST services has proliferated in recent years, but also that such platforms are winning the battle for viewer attention. That should serve as a lesson to subscription streaming services that a heavier focus on the kind of nostalgic content that free streamers specialize in.
Samsung’s data cites the Advertising Research Foundation’s DASH study, which found that 85% of American households watch ad-supported streaming services. Demand for FAST content has continued to grow since 2023, and even the smallest free streamers can boast tens of millions of viewers, as the chart below demonstrates.
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FAST viewership grew 34% between 2022 and 2026, and it’s not just low- and medium-income families who are watching; Samsung TV Plus viewers, for example, have a median income of over $100,000, and have a higher likelihood of having an income over $250,000 compared to the average U.S. household.
Critically, FAST services are beating out subscription streaming services, live TV streaming services, and every other distribution method in one key metric: attention. In the fourth quarter of 2025, Samsung found that FAST platforms received the highest amount of attention for their ads, beating out subscription streaming services and linear channel distributors.
If free streamers are getting more attention for their ads, chances are quite strong that the services are getting more attention from viewers during the playback of TV episodes and movies as well. So, why are free streamers seemingly beating out all other TV sources in this key metric?
A 2025 study commissioned by Tubi may hold the answer. The research found that more than 60% of all viewers, and more than 80% of Gen Z respondents, said they wanted streamers to offer them more nostalgic content over 10 years old. Another Tubi study from 2026 found that 97% of viewers are interested in watching content released more than 10 years ago.
Free streamers like Tubi and Pluto TV are packed with this type of content, and that’s leading audiences to pay more attention when watching. The data from Samsung shows that viewers aren’t just paying lip service to a desire for more nostalgic viewing; they’re following through and seeking out that content on free streaming services.
So, what can subscription streamers do to bring attention back to their platforms? The simple answer is lean into nostalgic content. That’s exactly what Roku is doing with its low-cost subscription service Howdy. For $3 per month, customers can watch titles licensed by Howdy from Sony, Warner Bros. Discovery, and other studios with no ads during playback.
Howdy has already added 1 million subscribers since launching in August 2025, and its nostalgia-driven library is a huge factor in its success. The streamer does not offer any original series or films, apart from titles from The Roku Channel that have had their ads removed to fit with the rest of the Howdy catalog.
It’s not as if subscription streamers are lacking in this nostalgic content; they simply need to do a better job of directing viewers to that content. Having a new prestige show to attract new subscribers is great, but Samsung’s data shows clearly that subscription services have to do a better job of keeping viewers engaged with older content. If they don’t, they’ll continue to lose the attention battle to free streamers who emphasize nostalgic titles well.
Tubi
Tubi is a free video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 200,000+ movies and TV episodes - more than any other streaming service. Its ad breaks are shorter and less frequent than most free services. Fox executives have called their service “TV on steroids.”