Until recently, it has been easy to dismiss FAST streaming services as something of a cut-rate service, unable to deliver the same content standards and quality as paid streaming subscription services. However, one glance at the accelerating user uptake for services like The Roku Channel, Tubi, and Pluto TV suggests that it may be time to revisit that initial impression. Our expert from Blake & Wang P.A., You could review entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake, shows us why.
The FAST Advantage
There’s one thing that FAST streaming has going for it- an amazingly low barrier of entry. Sure, you have to trade that free price tag off against some advertising, but as paid streaming services increasingly push ad-supported models, that no longer seems like much of a disadvantage against that shiny $0 price tag.
At this year’s Upfronts, Fox gave Tubi almost as much stage time as it did its paid services. The FAST platform model is rising in popularity among users. As they typically draw on existing in-house, and occasionally licensed, content libraries, FAST services are cheaper to run, as well as to watch, offer up a large user base that’s appealing to advertisers, and some have even ventured into creating their own originals, too.
Quality Content, After All
The argument has been, until now, that FAST channels can’t match the quality of content that paid services can. However, the stats suggest otherwise. Tubi has managed to take 1.7% of all TV views in the US in the last month according to Nielsen data, with The Roku Channel taking 1.4%. While that may not seem high, consider that Tubi is only just behind Disney, and Roku has outperformed both Max and Peacock to secure those spots. Pluto, although it only takes 0.8% on Nielsen’s rankings, has managed to be the first FAST service that made it to the Gauge, which again only rates services over 1% of market share.
Tubi has seen a 60% jump in monthly active users over the last year, now with a user base larger than Hulu, Paramount+, or Peacock. The Roku Channel will no doubt see a lot of interest in its recent live sports deals, including an MLB partnership. In short, FAST TV is now focused on high-quality content, and that is driving viewership for them. While they will likely not reach the heights of a major-tier streamer like Netflix on a FAST model alone, the days of dismissing FAST as a “bargain bin” alternative to “real” streaming are clearly at an end.
Film and Television 