SUNNYVALE, Calif.—The US free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) industry is locked into a virtuous cycle, with expanding audiences attracting better content offerings, which attract more advertisers and more viewers, according to new research from nScreenMedia sponsored by Verizon Media.
That market dynamic will drive ad revenue earned by virtual linear (vLinear) channels from $2.1 billion in 2021 to $4.1 billion in 2023, according to the research, which also found that monthly active users will hit 216 million in 2023.
The report also noted that ads occupy between 13 and 14 minutes per hour and that ad breaks occurred every 6 to 9 minutes, with 3 to 6 ads per break.
Typically FAST viewers report spending as much as 20 minutes per day with the services.
"There was a time when many forecast the death of linear TV viewing,” Colin Dixon, founder and chief analyst at nScreenMedia. “However, it is now clear that the format continues to deliver value to viewers. The FAST market has just begun a long period of rapid expansion."
The free report is available at nScreenMedia.com.
