Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) Explained + The 8 Best Services
Over the past year, you may have started hearing more and more about FAST services, and the promises of free TV that come with them. FAST stands for Free Ad-Supported Television, and it’s not unlike traditional cable; you press play on an episode, and the service will mark designated ad-breaks where they will show an allotted amount of ads before resuming. Despite its name, a FAST channel will actually add time to your binge watch, since these channels drop ads into the middle of a show’s playback.
With Warner Bros. Discovery already intending to move mega-hits like Westworld to FAST channels very soon, it’s clear what the incentive is for studios to move towards this model and away from streaming: with slots to sell to advertisers to have their product or promotion in front of viewers’ eyeballs each time an episode is watched, these channels are already more profitable than the flat rate each customer pays per month. For audiences, it’s not a bad deal either: you can watch shows like Westworld for totally free, only paying for your time spent watching the mid-roll ads like broadcast TV.
However, FAST channels are not only offering on-demand titles and options, but also curating live feeds as well, resurrecting the bygone days of cable by offering surfable feeds and marathons to tune-in to 24/7. Additionally, some series on FAST channels may only be available in pieces, with only a few seasons out of the entire series’ run actually streamable on the service (which includes a number of the shows listed below).
Below, we break down the best FAST channels, how to access them, and what they have to offer.
The Roku Channel
What it is: The Roku Channel is a FAST service offered from Roku, of Roku device fame. Boasting licensing deals with major studios like Disney, Paramount, Sony, and more, this service really does have a little something for everyone.
How to access: The only requirement is to create a free account. The Roku Channel can be accessed through the Roku / Roku Channel app, which is available on iOS, Android, and most smart TV devices.
The best of The Roku Channel: The Roku Channel features hits like Two Broke Girls, Bones, The Mentalist, Friday Night Lights, the original Quantum Leap, Weeds, Death Note, My Babysitter’s a Vampire, and more. They also feature their own originals, though mostly movies like Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
Live channels for surfing: Like most FAST live offerings, Roku’s live channels vary between actual channels and just live 24/7 feeds of the same series. Dateline 24/7, the Ice Road Truckers channel, and the Bob Ross Channel do just that, while Ion (and Ion Mystery), NBC News Now, Shades of Black, Nosey, Haunt TV, Cinevault Westerns, WB TV Watchlist, and WB TV Supernatural all play series in their specific genre.
Amazon Freevee
What it is: Amazon Freevee, previously known as IMDb TV, is a leg of Amazon’s Prime Video offerings. Boasting more originals than any other FAST service on this list, Freevee feels a bit more like a true streaming service of its own rather than just a host for other content.
How to access: Since Freevee is under the Prime Video umbrella, you do have to have an Amazon account to access the service, but a Prime subscription is not required. Freevee can be accessed through its own app, or through the Prime Video app on iOS, Android, and most smart TV devices.
The best of Amazon Freevee: Freevee originals like High School, Leverage: Redemption, Alex Rider, and Bosch: Legacy are all stand-out series available for totally free. From other networks, Freevee offers Schitt’s Creek, Fringe, Murder, She Wrote, Lost, White Collar, Person of Interest, The X Files, Degrassi: The Next Generation, the original Magnum P.I., and more.
Live channels for surfing: Like The Roku Channel, Freevee offers a mix of actual varied channels as well as just 24/7 streams of the same series. The Leverage, Bosch, Project Runway, and Judy Justice channels fall into the latter category, while Ion, Crime 360, Prime Video Sports Talk, and Game Show Nation fall into the former.
Pluto TV
What it is: Pluto TV is a FAST service from Paramount, so a number of on-demand and live offerings on this service are from under that umbrella (which includes new and classic CBS series, shows from MTV and VH1, and more).
How to access: There is no account required, but creating a free account will allow your watchlist to be synced across multiple devices. The Pluto TV app is available on iOS, Android, and most smart TV devices.
The best of Pluto TV: As mentioned, most series offered are from under the Paramount umbrella, which includes FBI and its spinoffs, NCIS and its spinoffs, CSI and its spinoffs, Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Original Series, Beverly Hills 90210 (1990), Survivor, 48 Hours, Numb3rs, Sailor Moon, Daria, Stargate SG-1 and many other Stargate series, Taskmaster, and The Andy Griffith Show.
Live channels for surfing: While offering generic genre channels like Crime Drama and FaithTV, Pluto also offers channels that play series from the same franchise like the Star Trek channel, the Stargate channel, the CSI channel, and more. CBS Sports HQ, Paramount+ Picks, Showtime Selects, britbox Mysteries, Reality, Buzzr, FunnyAF, Nick Jr. Pluto, and more all offer 24/7 streams of various programs under their respective genres.
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