Trading places: SVOD services and FAST channels are swapping strategies as CTV usage grows

As TV audiences continue shifting to CTV, two of the leading streaming options are taking pages out of each other's books to better meet viewer appetites. Free ad-supported television (FAST) services continue to ramp up the amount of new programming they offer, while premium streaming services have started introducing audiences to classic television shows-the same ones that FAST channels became known for when they debuted a little more than 10 years ago.

In contrast with their roots in classic TV and movies, FAST channels now have a greater percentage of newer content than the industry's leading subscription streaming services do. As of July 2025, in fact, almost 50% of the programs on FAST channels that Gracenote tracks were made in 2020 or later.

Comparatively, subscription streaming services have become dense with library¹ content, which is now an extraordinary driver of viewing engagement. Among the 10-most watched originals, movies and licensed TV shows on streaming services in 2024, licensed TV shows accounted for nearly 78% of the total viewing minutes².

While many of those top 10 shows were produced between 2000 and 2015, the latest batch of licensed titles to hit the streaming charts are among those that put FAST channels on the map a little more than a decade ago. And some are topping the viewing charts along the way.

Little House on the Prairie, for example, started its original TV run back in 1974, but was the 44th most-watched program on streaming services in all of 2024, garnering 13.25 billion viewing minutes (more than all but three streaming originals: Bridgerton, Love is Blind and The Boys).

Somewhat more surprising, however, is the fact that Gunsmoke-another FAST staple-was the 72nd most-watched streaming program of 2024 after only becoming available on Peacock and Paramount+ in the last month of the year. The show has continued to drive viewership in 2025, appearing on Nielsen's weekly top 10 list on five different occasions (through June 29, 2025).

The engagement with titles like Gunsmoke and Little House on the Prairie on premium subscription services is also noteworthy given that they're also available on FAST channels. Both Pluto TV and the Roku Channel, for example, have dedicated, Gunsmoke-branded channels. That fact notwithstanding, SVOD services remain steadfast in consistently offering a staple of programs and movies that were produced before 1990. For example, this year there has been a 19% increase of pre-1990 content on the five SVOD services tracked in Gracenote's Data Hub. The growth of pre-1990 programming is faster than content from any subsequent decade except the current one.

SVOD services and FAST channels continue to grow their catalogs

The shifting composition of SVOD catalogs and FAST channels reflect their perpetual expansion as CTV usage increases among viewers. In Q1 2025, U.S. CTV usage accounted for nearly 48% of weekly TV time, up 41.4% from Q1 2024³. To appease increasing CTV usage, global FAST channels increased their video catalogs by 9.1% in the first half of 2025, and the five global SVOD services tracked by the Gracenote Data Hub collectively increased their catalogs by 14.3%.

The desire to distribute sports programming remains high among CTV publishers, but SVOD services have increased their sports content catalogs to a much greater extent this year than FAST channels have. In the first half of the year, the five SVOD services tracked by the Gracenote Data Hub have collectively increased their sports catalogs by nearly 24%. Comparatively, the amount of sports programming increased by 14% on FAST channels in the first half of 2025.

From a content category perspective, SVOD services and FAST channels both offer high percentages of popular genres, including drama, comedy, thriller and documentary. Of these top genres, however, SVOD services distribute them in greater percentages.

In addition to having a more even distribution of top genres, FAST channels offer programming from an array of genres that aren't among the top 20 genres across SVOD catalogs, including news, crime, nature and western. The linear nature of FAST channels makes them ideal for watching news content in real time, and the number of news programs has increased by 37% in the last three months.

The continuing evolution of CTV highlights both similarities and differences across channels and content. Ultimately, publishers and platforms are looking to offer the right blend to engage audiences and keep them coming back for more-even if it might be available elsewhere.

For additional insights, visit the Gracenote Data Hub

Notes

1. The term 'library content' refers to TV shows and movies that have been licensed from other sources.
2. Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings
3. Nielsen National TV Panel