How FASTs Stack Up for Ad Experience and More

In a world awash with endless entertainment options via streaming services, there’s something to be said about the traditional “lean-back” experience. That’s one of the reasons that FASTs (free ad-supported streaming TV) have steadily gained steam — viewers can take their hands off the proverbial wheel in terms of having to actually decide what to watch, and let the service do the driving. As part of its study on streaming services, MX8 Labs analyzed consumer preferences for some of the most popular FASTs. Here are just a few of the insights: 

• Overall, Tubi is the most-watched FAST by surveyed viewers at 25%, with Roku Channel close behind (23%) and Pluto TV in third (18%). Notably, Tubi is even more popular with Black viewers (45%) and people using a Samsung smartphone (36%). 
• Ads on FASTs are literally a part of the whole value proposition, but the data suggests that some services are doing it better than others: A majority (71%) of viewers think Plex’s ad break lengths are “just right.” On the flip side, Pluto TV was ranked by 41% of viewers as having ad breaks that are “too long.” 
• That being said — and this isn’t exactly a shocker — viewers still feel like the ad break experiences across the board are more annoying than entertaining. 
• Looking at overall content appeal, Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel and Tubi claim the top spots. In terms of what type of content was favored on each, 60% of viewers cited the network TV series offered on Samsung TV Plus, while movies won on The Roku Channel (58%) and Tubi (77%).