Free, ad-supported TV networks like Tubi and Freevee are growing quickly

At a moment when many consumers’ wallets are stretched to the breaking point, TV viewers have begun flocking to a group of streaming services that don’t cost a dime.

At a moment when many consumers’ wallets are stretched to the breaking point, TV viewers have begun flocking to a group of streaming services that don’t cost a dime. 

The channels are known as free, ad-supported television (FAST) networks. The main players include Amazon’s Freevee, Paramount-owned Pluto TV, Rakuten TV, Fox-owned Tubi, The Roku Channel and Xumo, which is co-owned by Comcast, NBC News’ parent company.

The channels are not quite household names — but today, they combine for 4.1% of the entire TV viewership market, according to Nielsen. That’s more than either Hulu or Amazon Prime Video.  

Given current trends, Goldman Sachs projects the value of the combined FAST universe to grow by 15% each year until 2027.

The reason for the growth: Consumers are simply tired of having to pay ever-higher prices across multiple platforms to get the content they want, said Doug Arthur, a managing director at Huber Research, a Wall Street advisory service.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/free-ad-supported-tv-pluto-tubi-freevee-xumo-rcna160729

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