FAST stands for Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV — streaming services that are free to the viewer and monetized entirely through advertising, presented as linear "channels" you flip through rather than an on-demand library you search. Pluto TV, Tubi, the Roku Channel, and Samsung TV Plus are leading FAST services.
FAST in the streaming landscape
FAST sits alongside subscription (SVOD) and transactional models as a monetization flavor of streaming. Where SVOD charges a fee and minimizes ads, FAST flips it: zero price, maximum ad load, scaled reach. It effectively recreates the classic linear-TV advertising model — scheduled channels, ad breaks — on top of internet ([[ott]]) delivery, most often consumed on a [[ctv]] screen.
For app marketers, FAST is an attractive slice of [[ctv]] inventory: large, growing audiences and lean-back, sound-on placements good for awareness. Because it's CTV, the same measurement caveats apply — non-clickable ads, view-through and household-graph attribution, and [[incrementality]] testing to confirm install lift. The high ad load also means creative needs to earn attention in a cluttered break.