Movie channels lead viewing on FAST services

Six of the top 10 most-watched FAST channels on Pluto TV are exclusively dedicated to the genre, highlighting its dominance in the streaming landscape.

Omdia has been charting the evolution of Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) channels, and further revealed that in both the US and Brazil, FAST channels are more popular than Pay TV.

Maria Rua Aguete, Senior Director, Media and Entertainment at Omdia, presented insights from recent research at the Cannes Film Festival, revealing that in both the US and Brazil, FAST channels are more popular than Pay TV.

In the US, 60% of video users now turn to FAST services such as Pluto TV, Tubi, Roku on a monthly basis, surpassing the 55% who prefer Pay TV services like Comcast or AT&T.

Similarly in Brazil, 47% of viewers opt for FAST channels compared to 45% for pay TV. The top performers in the US FAST market are Tubi, Roku Channel, Freevee, and Pluto TV, while in Brazil, Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and LG dominate the charts.

The US is projected to dominate the $12bn FAST market by 2028, with international FAST revenue exceeding $2bn. Pluto TV is active in nine of the top 10 international FAST markets.

Maria Rua Aguete said: “This shift signifies the growing appetite for diverse and accessible content options, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of entertainment consumption. This transformation arrives after a decade following the inception of Pluto TV, born from a contrarian vision aimed at resolving the paradox of choice. Its pioneering introduction of FAST heralded a new era fundamentally altering the media industry’s landscape forever.”