FAST is the future
In the ever-evolving landscape of television, free ad-supported TV (FAST) is quickly becoming a staple in many households across the nation. The shift towards FAST is unmistakable, with over half of streaming viewers (51%) expecting to spend more time with these channels in the coming year.2 And by 2026, FAST viewership is expected to grow by 21% to reach over 120 million annual viewers.3
People are gravitating toward FAST for several compelling reasons: it’s free, it offers the content that they like, and the experience is reminiscent of traditional TV.2 In fact, 25% of viewers claim that they watch FAST content unknowingly due to the technology’s seamless integration and cable TV-like experience. As FAST becomes more prevalent, a significant shift in viewership trends is expected, with more households relying on FAST for their news content.
FAST news content reaches a quarter of all households
In the past year, 25% of households have consumed news content on a FAST channel, amounting to over half the size of the cable and network news audience.1 This growing popularity is likely due to increased consumer awareness, given that the top reason consumers cite for not watching FAST is because they simply don’t know the medium exists (68% of non-FAST viewers).2
FAST has unique reach, and reaches unique audiences
While cable and network news still dominate overall news consumption across TV and streaming, FAST is carving out a significant niche for itself. In the first half of 2024, a quarter of all news-watching households were reached exclusively through FAST while 19% were reached both by FAST and cable/network news.1
FAST news viewers are also 7.4 times more likely to be cord-cutters than the average viewer, making FAST an attractive means for reaching audiences without pay TV services as well as other hard-to-reach demographics, such as younger viewers – who are 2.1 times more likely to watch news via FAST.1
Conclusion
As households continue to shift toward streaming, FAST emerges as a go-to source for the live, linear-like viewing experience, particularly attractive for news content. However, traditional sources like cable or network TV continue to hold a significant share of news viewership, complementing the growing trend of FAST adoption. To maximize reach and frequency for their campaigns, advertisers should ensure their message airs across both traditional news sources and streaming platforms like FAST, with the optimal strategy allocating 20-30% of investment to streaming of all types and the remaining to traditional TV.
Sources:
1. Comcast aggregated ad exposure data for TV and streaming, Time Periods used: 2023=Jan-Dec 2023 and 2024=Jan-May 2024, Cable/Network news includes sources like: ABC News, CBS News, CNBC, FXNC, MSNBC, and NBC News. FAST news includes sources like: XUMO Local News, Pluto News, Local Now, and Cheddar. Total HHs.
2. Comcast Advertising, Third-Party Research Study with Cint (Q4 2023). N=1739.
3. FAST viewership of 98.5M in 2022 vs. expected viewership in 2026, eMarketer, 2022.
