FAST Is Vast: The explosive growth in free, ad-supported TV
Research from Roku and Horizon Futures
If it feels like everyone you know is suddenly watching free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST), you’re not imagining it. FAST has quietly become one of the fastest-growing parts of the TV ecosystem—and our new research with Roku shows just how quickly things are moving.
FAST is the simplest version of streaming: no subscription, no credit card, no decision fatigue. You simply open the app and start watching live channels—movies, shows, news, niche streams—exactly like old-school cable, but free.
And audiences are flocking to it.
FAST has hit escape velocity
Our joint study—based on surveys of 1,500 streamers over a 20-day period plus proprietary Roku data—shows a massive shift in behavior. Back in 2020, plenty of households only watched ad-free streaming. Today, 57% of those households now watch FAST content. That’s a big swing in just a few years.
To put FAST’s footprint in perspective:
If you bundled all FAST viewership into a single app, it would be the 4th largest app on Roku by reach.
FAST is defined as free, live, scheduled content delivered through a channel guide within streaming apps like The Roku Channel. Think cable-style browsing, minus the bill.
The audience isn’t who you think
There’s a common myth that FAST is just for budget-conscious viewers. Actually, the opposite is true.
61% of FAST viewers make $150K+ a year
64% hold a graduate degree
These aren’t fringe audiences—they’re premium ones. And a lot of them have already cut the cord: 70% of FAST viewers on Roku are cordless.
So what are people watching?
FAST has become a treasure chest for comfort viewing. Over the last year, The Roku Channel streamed 1,000+ Oscar-, Emmy-, and SAG-nominated titles for free. The top categories break down like this:
Entertainment: 52% of viewing hours
News: 18%
Unscripted: 17%
Much like traditional TV, FAST viewing peaks during prime time, which makes ad planning more predictable and familiar.
FAST is winning on experience—not just cost
One of the biggest surprises in the data? FAST viewers are more attentive than cable viewers.
They see only one-third the ad load of cable, which means fewer interruptions and more focus. Among households that have cut the cord, 65% start watching an hour or more of FAST per week—a sign that the lighter, cleaner experience keeps them coming back.
Viewers also say FAST feels more “premium” than you might expect. Their top marker of quality is having personal favorites they can watch again and again, something FAST delivers in spades. And 50% watch FAST because it helps them discover new favorites, including retro gems and niche channels you won’t find elsewhere.
What this means for advertisers
FAST isn’t just big—it’s highly effective.
60% of streamers say they give all or most of their attention to FAST content
The lighter ad load makes ads more noticeable
The audience skews affluent, educated, and engaged
In other words: FAST combines reach, attention, and quality—three things advertisers rarely get at once.
This ecosystem is maturing quickly. For brands, the window to get ahead of competitors is wide open right now—but probably not for long.
👉For the full findings and charts from our Horizon × Roku study, get the full report: FAST is Vast: Horizon x Roku