The widespread availability of streaming devices has encouraged many people to ditch satellite TV in favor of a cable-free home. A variety of streaming services offer live TV channels, on-demand TV shows and movies, pay-per-view (PPV) events, and more.
However, most VOD (video on demand) services, such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Paramount+, Peacock TV, FuboTV, etc., are prepaid options. Signing up for too many streaming options can skyrocket your credit card bill. This is where the concept of FAST services comes in.
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What is FAST TV?
FAST TV, also known as free streaming TV with ads, is a category of streaming services that do not have paid plans or subscriptions. These services rely on advertising to deliver free content to users. FAST services offer the same content as other paid services, but with ads. They also do not offer PPV events, DVR storage, or other perks typically available with Hulu, FuboTV, Paramount, etc.
If you're on a tight budget and don't mind a few ads along the way, give these FAST services a try. It's a win-win situation for providers and consumers: they get free access to on-demand content and live TV channels, and providers get more advertising revenue from an increased user base, helping to offset the costs of licensing and streaming content.
Now that we understand the FAST service and its business model, let’s take a quick look at the top options for smart TV platforms.
Pluto TV
Paramount's Pluto TV is one of the leading FAST services. Pluto TV signed a deal with Hulu in 2015 to stream popular shows from ABC, NBC, and Fox on its platform. It offers content across a variety of categories, including live TV channels and on-demand content.
The library was significantly enhanced when Viacom (Paramount's parent company) acquired Pluto TV and purchased all of the CBS Universe content from networks such as Paramount Pictures, BET, Comedy Central MTV, etc. Pluto TV has over 80 million monthly users and apps across all smart TV platforms.
Sling Freestream
While Sling TV has several paid plans, the company also offers a free streaming service called Sling Freestream, which gives you access to over 335 channels and over 40,000 TV shows and movies on demand. Unlike Sling TV, this doesn't require you to pay anything to get started.
Sling Freestream is available through the main Sling TV app, and upgrading to Sling Orange or Sling Blue unlocks even more premium content on your device.
Tubi
Fox's Tubi is also a popular choice among cable-cutters. You'll find older movies and TV shows, as well as content from major networks like Fox Network, Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate. Tubi has a smaller user base than Pluto TV, but the company recently went through a major internal restructuring that confirms Fox's commitment to FAST.
Xumo Play
Owned by Comcast and Charter, Xumo Play is a faster version of Xumo. It's available on LG Channels services, Xumo Stream Box, and Hisense budget TVs. While it doesn't compete with Pluto TV or Tubi in terms of content library, it still has a respectable content library for streaming free live TV channels, TV shows, movies, and more.
Vudu
NBCUniversal's Fandango Media acquired Vudu from Walmart in 2020. Though it hasn't won any awards in terms of content, you can still give it a try because of the old TV shows and movies available on the platform. For more content, Vudu recommends subscribing to NBC Network's paid Peacock TV streaming service. Besides classic TV shows, Vudu is packed with BBC hits, concerts, documentaries, movies across a variety of categories, including horror, romance, suspense, drama, crime, and action.
Plex
Plex is your all-in-one streaming partner where you can watch movies, shows, live TV, and more. It also has a rental section where you can buy trending movies. Plex is primarily known for media streaming on local networks, but has recently entered the FAST market. FAST channels are also unlocked with a paid Plex Pass subscription. It offers 50,000+ titles, 600+ live TV channels, and more, all in an intuitive user interface. The Watch Together feature allows you to stream your favorite shows with your family around the world.
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FAST services from device manufacturers
Let's take a look at some of the FAST services that major TV manufacturers are bundling with their devices.
Amazon Free
Available in the US, UK, Germany and Austria, Freevee by Amazon has an extensive library of content that you can stream for free. All you need is an Amazon account to get started. Freevee is tightly integrated into Amazon's lineup of Fire TV devices. It offers thousands of movies, TV shows, Freevee originals and live entertainment channels across all smart platforms. Popular titles include: mad men, My name is Arlie, high schooland so on.
Samsung TV Plus
Like LG, Samsung also offers its Samsung TV Plus service on its TV lineup, Galaxy smartphones, and tablets. It offers a ton of live TV channels, TV shows, and movies. You don't need a Samsung account to get started. You can set reminders, mark your favorite channels, create a watchlist, and more.
The Roku Channel
Roku offers the best streaming devices. While the Roku Store has all the premium channels, the company's Roku Channel is growing in popularity with over 350 channels, Roku Originals, and the option to rent or buy popular TV shows and movies. Unlike other services, the Roku Channel is available on Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV, and the web. This is one of the best ways to stream local channels for free on your Roku device.
LG Channel
LG has partnered with Xumo to offer over 100 free channels on its webOS-powered TV lineup. If you have an LG TV running webOS 3.5 or later versions, you can stream your favorite news and entertainment channels for free using the default LG Channels section.
Similarly, Vizio and TCL offer WatchFree+ and TCL Channel respectively. Other popular FAST services include Crackle, Redbox, ITVX, Flixhouse, Herogo TV, and Mometu.
Revolutionizing the viewing experience
As you can see from the list above, there are plenty of FAST TV services. And they are official apps, available for instant download from your smart TV's app store. Google TV is the most popular smart TV OS among these smart TV platforms. If you have a smart TV from Sony, Sansui, TCL, HiSense, or any other Google TV partner, check out these tips and tricks to get the most out of it.