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Lately, FAST Channels, or Free Ad-Supported TV Channels, have been taking over the streaming industry. But what exactly are they? It’s pretty straight-forward, they are streaming channels that are free and have ads. But in this article, we’re going to go over everything you need to know.
What is FAST?
In its simplest form, FAST is Free Ad-Supported TV. Typically used as a TV channel, similar to what Cable was, but of course, free. The content on these channels are solely funded by advertisements and commercials.
FAST channels generally have both linear channels and video that is available on demand. A good example of this is Sling’s FreeStream service. Which has over 300 channels, that are completely free and have ads.
FAST Channels have become pretty popular as of late, with streaming companies continuing to raise prices on their paid plans. A lot of people are looking for areas where they can get free content. And that’s where FAST has started to take off. Especially with the explosion of users that Pluto TV, Tubi, Xumo and others have seen in the past few years.
What kind of content is available on FAST?
Content that you’ll find on FAST channels are typically not originals. Studios will license content out to these FAST channels, and typically it’s older content. Content that they likely can’t get a ton of money out of licensing. So instead what these studios do is, they get a portion of the advertising revenue from the ads shown alongside their movies and TV shows.
So, many times, you’ll see older content, or even content that has hundreds of episodes. Like some of Gordon Ramsey’s shows like Hell’s Kitchen. As well as others like Pawn Stars, and such. Some of the bigger shows will get their own channels on these platforms for streaming 24/7.
With FAST, companies can make themed channels, as well as live cable television channels, and even niche channels about sports and news shows. Peacock, while not entirely a FAST service, does offer some channels in this way. Like there’s a channel specifically for NBC news.
What are some examples of FAST services?
So what are some examples of services that utilize FAST channels? Well there’s quite a few, but below, we’ve rounded up some of the more popular models.
Pluto TV
Pluto TV was one of the first to move in on FAST. It launched back in 2013, and released a beta version of its website in 2015. Pluto TV offers around 250 virtual streaming channels. These are channels that go across a variety of categories, including entertainment, news, comedy, sports, and classic TV.
It also has some themed channels like “Cats 24/7” and “Totally Turtles” which has episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on repeat.
Don’t forget that Pluto TV is owned by Paramount – the same company that owns CBS, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, etc – so there is a lot of great content that Pluto TV’s parent-company owns that is available here. And that you won’t find on other FAST services.
Xumo
Another example is Xumo, which first launched in 2011, and was then acquired by Comcast. It’s one of the largest FAST services out there, and is exclusively available in the US. It does, surprisingly, offer OTT streams of traditional broadcast channels, including NBC, CBS and ABC. It also has some content and channels from digital-first video content publishers like Fail Army, as well as free movie channels and much more.
Sling Freestream
Sling Freestream is one of the newer FAST services out there, having launched in 2023. But it has over 300 channels that are available for free. You just need to login or create a free account.
Sling is a subsidiary of Dish Network and has offered a paid streaming service for nearly a decade now. It offers an a la carte option for those cutting the cord. But now it also offers up free content as well. This is actually something it started during the pandemic, and then decided to keep it and expand it.
Sling has continued to add more and more content to these channels, and will likely continue to do so.
The Roku Channel
Roku, yes the company that makes streaming hardware, has it’s own FAST service, which is built into the Roku platform. But you don’t need to have a Roku device to use it. It’s available on most platforms. The Roku Channel has a ton of free to access channels, and even bought the tech and content from Quibi when it went out of business in 2020.
Peacock
Peacock is a bit different from the others here. That’s because it offers a free version of its service, though that’s going away soon. And it offers FAST channels, but that’s included in your monthly subscription. Peacock does have a number of FAST channels available, mostly themed channels, like Today all day, as well as channels for MSNBC and CNBC and much more. It’s not quite a FAST service, but it offers a similar option.
Should I be using a FAST streaming service?
There’s no streaming service that you have to use. That’s all entirely up to you. But the fact that you can sign up for all of these services, without spending a penny, is pretty nice.
FAST channels are really good for background noise. You know, turning on the TV and having it playing while you do chores like cooking or cleaning around the house. That’s what a lot of these paid streaming services like Netflix are really missing right now. And FAST makes that possible, without spending any money.