FAST viewing has surged 43% in the US since last year

Here’s the thing:

Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) has boomed in recent years — and it shows no signs of slowing down.

U.S. viewers streamed 1.8 billion hours of FAST content through August 2025, up from 1.3 billion hours during the same period in 2024, according to the recent Comscore 2025 State of Streaming report.

That’s a 43% increase year over year.

“What began as a modern twist on traditional TV has evolved into one of streaming’s most dynamic growth engines,” the report said. “FAST channels, once seen as secondary to subscription services, now command substantial viewer attention.”

Data debrief:

The rise of FAST reflects a growing shift to ad-supported streaming in general.

In fact, Netflix recently announced that its ad tier reaches 190 million monthly active viewers globally, a new metric that reflects household viewing rather than subscribers.

Most major subscription streaming platforms, including Netflix, offer ad plans for consumers — and they are seeing some big bumps in ad-supported viewing.

Through this past August compared to through August 2024, the share of total U.S. households watching ad-supported content on Disney+ increased 16 percentage points; on Netflix, it climbed 11 points; and on HBO Max, it rose 10 percentage points.

YouTube, however, dipped 2 percentage points over the same period.

Why it matters:

Consumers are craving access to premium programming that is also inexpensive — or, in the case of FAST, free.

As the report stated, FAST replicates “the familiarity of linear viewing with the flexibility of digital delivery.” Perhaps that’s why FAST content performs so well with older viewers, who tend to be highly attentive to ads.

“As consumers navigate an increasingly crowded streaming landscape, they’re seeking value, simplicity and easy access to the content they love,” said Jen Carton, senior vice president of product management at Comscore.