If you’re tired of shelling out £9.99 a month on another streaming service, you might be interested in signing up for a FAST service.
FAST services are a free way to stream content online and on your TV. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about FAST channels, including what they are and where you can find them.
What is a FAST channel?
A FAST channel is a way to stream traditional television programming and movies without a paid subscription. FAST stands for Free Advertising-supported Streaming Television.
Popular examples of FAST services include Rakuten TV, Tubi and ITVX. Many of these FAST services offer both video-on-demand content and FAST channels, which are linear channels that resemble traditional speciality channels, focussing on a specific genre or franchise.
Some FAST channels are exclusive to specific FAST services, while others are distributed across multiple platforms.
FAST channels and services differ from other popular streaming apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video because they are completely ad-supported. This means there are zero subscription fees you need to pay and no option to watch ad-free. They also differ from free platforms like YouTube and Twitch because their content is not predominantly user-generated, with their offerings more closely resembling those you would find on a TV/movie streaming service or a traditional broadcast television channel.
What is the most popular FAST channel?
As of January 2024, there are a reported 1500 FAST channels available to watch in the US (via Deadline). This is a huge amount of free TV.
Despite this number surpassing 1000, more than one-fifth of FAST channel views have been attributed to just five channels available through FAST platform Pluto TV.
According to a report by TBI (Television Business International), Pluto TV Spotlight, Star Trek, Pluto TV Action, Pluto TV Reaction and Pluto TV Comedy accounted for 21% of consumption across the top 100 FAST channels in the US last August, with the top 20 channels accounting for around 50% of all FAST channel visits that same month.
