FAST Will Reach 131.4 Million US Viewers in 2026

Free ad-supported streaming TV is winning over US audiences. FAST will reach 131.4 million US viewers this year (38.7% of the population), and projections show that share will climb to 43.3% by 2030. Viewers are spending more time there, too: daily watch time will grow nearly 10% this year to 23 minutes, up from 15 minutes in 2023. That momentum is strong enough that FAST is on pace to surpass pay TV viewership by 2029.

So what’s fueling the surge? According to EMARKTER, it’s price and quality. The cheapest ad-free streaming plans jumped 77% in cost between 2020 and 2025, sending viewers in search of better value that FAST is delivering. 61% of North American viewers praised FAST programming quality in Q2 2025, up from 53.1% a year earlier. As media companies pour licensed libraries and TV-style channels into the format, FAST offers marketers a growing, stable audience with lower CPMs — a smart way to extend reach and stretch budgets beyond premium subscription environments.

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