In August, FAST platforms The Roku Channel and Tubi topped Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max and Discovery+ for household TV market share.
Viewers are not only watching more, but they’re also staying more engaged. Average FAST channel session duration increased 25%, and viewers are also exploring more channels than they did a year ago.
Reality, drama and documentary dominate viewership, while news maintains a steady share and spikes during major events such as the 2024 election. Political advertising was a major revenue driver for Fox-owned Tubi in 2024.
As audiences continue to shift and watch more free streaming channels, advertisers have not yet fully caught up, according to Wurl. Ad fill rates are still lower than in previous years — signaling there is untapped opportunity in a market that’s moving in the right direction.
As audiences expand, tune in for longer, and engage more deeply, publishers are increasingly adopting new and creative targeting strategies to attract more demand.
Tubi just announced that it would live-stream an upcoming NFL Thanksgiving Day game. In September, YouTube live-streamed the NFL opener from Brazil.
“As the streaming landscape continues to evolve, free streaming TV is proving itself to be an efficient and high-performing channel,”
Dave Bernath, CEO of Wurl, said in a statement. “We’re seeing significant growth in both audience scale and engagement. At the same time, premium ad inventory remains available, which means advertisers have a unique opportunity to secure high-impact placements as the market continues to mature.”
Source: mediaplaynews.com