At the Fox upfront on May 13, the network’s free ad-supported streaming service, Tubi, got just as much stage time as its traditional broadcast channels. Those so-called FAST platforms are becoming a bigger part of the entertainment conversation, and rising in popularity among users, as many paid streaming services are now bundling with one another in an effort to salvage costs, and as linear television audiences are on the decline.
The advantage for companies that have FAST offerings, including Fox’s Tubi, Paramount’s Pluto TV and The Roku Channel, is that the platforms come with lower costs than paid services, thanks to their massive libraries of in-house and licensed content, and some originals (or in the case of Pluto, no originals). And they bring in a large user base, offering another…