蘑菇AV

A hot mic moment revealed Disney鈥檚 advertising audience: The company鈥檚 Q4 earnings came with AVOD revelations and significant gains in India.

Study finds 57% of streamers choose AVOD tiers: Consumers seek affordable alternatives amid subscription price hikes.

Free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels are showing promise, with broadcasting media company MediaCo noting 18% YoY growth in its FAST viewer base. AI-powered tools are transforming marketing. Amazon Ads鈥� Brand+ campaign management tool led to an 80% increase in ROAS and 1.5 times greater reach for clients overall.

This growth coincided with a rise in ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD). With consumers facing subscription fatigue and seeking affordable entertainment, many are opting for platforms that offer free content in exchange for ads. Nielsen鈥檚 Ad Supported Gauge shows that 72.4% of US TV viewing time is ad-supported, and streaming makes up 42.4% of that total. Marketers are responding.

US ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) viewers, by provider. US ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) viewers, by subscription OTT provider.

Several FAST channels are experiencing notable growth. Viewership for The Roku Channel is up 67%, Tubi is up 21%, and Pluto TV is up 15%, according to Nielsen. Overall FAST viewers are growing steadily. US FAST viewers will reach over 116 million in 2025 and nearly 130 million by 2029, per our forecast.

Zooming out: The findings align with streaming trends, with both subscription OTT video viewers and ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) viewers climbing steadily, per our forecasts. Continued growth in ad-supported streaming is helping boost overall share of subscription streaming viewers.

Ad-supported growth: The rise of free ad-supported streaming services and ad-supported tiers on paid platforms may be partly driven by younger users鈥� viewing habits and budgets. More than two-thirds of Gen Zers and millennials subscribe to a free, ad-supported streaming plan.

WBD鈥檚 streaming and studios company can double down on growth segments like HBO Max and ad-supported video without being weighed down by the declining cable business. Meanwhile, its cable unit can concentrate on monetizing its existing assets and cost control to better maximize cash flow鈥攇iving WBD a company dedicated to adapting to shifts in linear consumption.

FAST trend grows globally: New channels from Free Live Sports, CBC, and Pluto TV showcase demand for free, ad-supported streaming options.

This generational difference is consistent with data on video consumption in general: according to our forecast, free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) will only make up 4.9% of all video time in 2025, while YouTube will account for 10.6% and social video for 13.6%. Our take: The move away from pay TV has become the norm rather than a fad.

Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels remain niche but numerous. There are around 650 FAST channels in the UK, though only 3% to 4% of consumers have used them in the past three months, per March 2024 Ofcom data. The exception is Amazon鈥檚 Freevee, which 11% have used (albeit Freevee is being migrated into Amazon鈥檚 Prime Video offering).

Brands that want to continue investing in traditional media can look to options like free ad-supported streaming services (FAST) to meet customers dissatisfied with paid streaming.

The new program gives new and existing subscribers access to perks including free video game items, a $10 credit for NFT platform Disney Pinnacle, and discounts at Disney resorts. US subscribers will also have the ability to attend Disney movie premieres like the upcoming 鈥淔reakier Friday鈥� and enter contests for a Disney cruise.

Other AVOD platforms experienced similar declines, with Netflix falling to $31.05, Disney+ to $33.76, and Max down to $36. The broader market context supports the PA shift. 蘑菇AV data shows average CPMs for private marketplace deals at $15, compared to just $5.54 in the open exchange. PA deals bridge this gap, bringing open-style bidding into the walled garden of Amazon鈥檚 premium content.

Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels remain niche but numerous. There are around 650 FAST channels available in the UK, though only 3% to 4% of people in the country use them, per Ofcom. The exception is Amazon鈥檚 Freevee, which is used by 11% (though this service is being merged with Prime Video). Consumers currently see FAST as a niche fallback option, with a huge surge in uptake unlikely.

This means that the largest screen in the home is typically connected to the internet and addressable for advertisers in ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) as well as linear TV channels. Viewers have a wide variety of services to choose from for long-form content. In addition to linear TV, sizable audiences tune in to AVOD and subscription VOD (SVOD) platforms, also known as OTT services.

Growing consumption of ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD)鈥攐n platforms like Netflix and Crave and free ad-supported streaming TV channels like PlutoTV, Roku, and Tubi鈥攈as also increased video ad spend. Click here to view our forecast on Canada digital ad spending by format. Search鈥檚 share of digital will be 42.1% in 2025. It鈥檚 been a decade since search held a larger share than display.

Companies betting big on sports rights, AVOD, and international hardware ecosystems may need to reassess how they protect margins without sacrificing user experience. Theaters could once again prove resilient in downturns鈥攂ut only if pricing adapts. Discounted tickets, not premium upsells, may be the path to survival.

Our take: The NFL game being broadcast for free on YouTube marks a significant milestone, signaling a future where more premium sports content is accessible through free, ad-supported streaming options and creating a substantial opportunity for advertisers.

Among activities, CTV-centric options like subscription OTT (sub OTT), YouTube, and free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) will see the fastest time spent growth. Total time spent with video continues to rise, despite TV鈥檚 struggles. Topline time with video鈥攍ike topline time with total media鈥攊s no longer growing much.