free ad-supported streaming TV has become a fast mover in the streaming game – study

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'FAST' has become a fast mover in the streaming game – study | Light Reading

Amid an influx of new, premium content, the free ad-supported streaming TV – or FAST – market is poised to generate 216 million monthly active users by 2023, a new study finds.

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Media giants merge into the FAST lane

Among some recent examples, Comcast acquired Xumo in 2020, ViacomCBS is making hay with Pluto TV (acquired by Viacom in 2019 for $340 million), and Fox Corp. continues to broaden the reach and scope of Tubi, the FAST service it snapped up in 2020.

Notably, Tubi is starting to loosen some of the sports glue that has held pay-TV packages together by rolling out "Sports on Tubi," an offering developed in partnership with corporate cousin Fox Sports that will initially feature ten live-streaming sports channels. Though Sports on Tubi chips away at the televised sports model, it's not yet a true replacement of sports on traditional TV services, but more of a complement at this point. As Variety points out, Sports on Tubi will present much of its content, which will include highlights and daily studio content, in a linear, live TV fashion, but won't offer much in the way of live games and matches.