FAST TV: 70% Say Free Streaming Apps Are on Par With Netflix and Disney+

Streaming is undoubtedly the most common way people view their entertainment nowadays. So much so that 85% of Americans have a smart TV or streaming device in their home.

Streaming used to be the cheapest option over cable and satellite TV. Still, we’ve all recently experienced the frustrations of streaming services raising their prices another $2 or the fact that we need six services to watch all of the top, talked-about series.

Consumers have found their way around shoveling out money with FAST: Free ad-supported streaming. Most smart TV owners (77%) watch FAST apps, and 86% percent of them do so to avoid higher subscription fees. FAST is also a great place to start looking for lost streaming content if your favorite show is no longer offered on Netflix or Max.

So, which platforms are people enjoying?

It’s no surprise that most people use ad-supported services to watch what they would typically watch with Netflix, Disney+, or Amazon Prime Video: Movies and TV shows. But in this case, those who subscribe to FAST know they have to keep themselves busy during the ad breaks—which isn’t too hard, knowing you’re saving lots of money each month.

The most popular free ad-supported apps used by consumers are the following:

1. Tubi TV- 43.53% of Smart TV consumers use
2. The Roku Channel - 41%
3. Pluto TV - 36.20%
4. Freevee - 32.73%
5. Crackle - 14.53%
6. Vudu - 13.60%
7. Sling Freestream - 6.60%
8. Xumo - 5.87%
9. None of the above - 18.40%
10. Other - 2%

You might wonder, “Yeah, but how good is the content?” and, “How many ads do I need to sit through?” These questions were on my mind, too.

Thankfully, these FAST streamers have answered the questions for us.

Over 70% say the quality of the content on free ad-supported streaming services is just as great as paid services like Netflix, Hulu, and Max. That’s saying a lot because some of us like our Ted Lasso and Succession.

About 46% of free streamers say 3–4 ads pop up in one hour. That’s a pretty good ratio compared to live television. So, if you want to save some cash, you can easily do so by cutting your subscriptions and finding a way to stay entertained during the ads—like cleaning, checking your phone, or doing 100 sit-ups.

If you want to join others in saving because you’re already thinking about Christmas gift shopping, take a look at these ad-supported streaming services.

Reviews.org surveyed 1,000 Americans 16 years and older in October 2023 with a +/- 4% margin of error and a confidence level of 95%.