Tubi FAST – New Parks Associates data finds Tubi leads U.S. free, ad-supported streaming use, with Roku Channel and Pluto TV close behind.
A free streaming app is becoming a default entertainment habit, and new industry data puts Tubi at the center of it.
Parks Associates reported that Tubi is the most-used free. ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in broadband-connected homes across the United States.. The finding comes from the firm’s proprietary Streaming Video Tracker. a system that compiles quarterly subscriber estimates. viewership data. and monthly market updates across a wide range of streaming platforms available in North America.
According to the report, Tubi is used by about 80 million viewers on a monthly basis.. The scale of that audience is being treated as evidence of how far the free model has traveled from a niche option to a mainstream part of what people watch—particularly because the service is designed to keep the path to content short.
The way Tubi built that reach. Parks Associates notes. reflects how Fox has prioritized the platform by adding premium titles while keeping friction low for viewers.. Instead of making audiences search for paid subscriptions. the service leans on immediate accessibility. a strategy aimed at pulling viewers into a broad catalog without adding extra steps.
Roku’s free offering stands out as the clearest counterpoint to Tubi’s “opt-in” approach. The Roku Channel ranks as the second most-used FAST service in U.S. broadband homes, with roughly 60 million monthly viewers, followed by Paramount-owned Pluto TV with nearly 50 million monthly viewers.
There is a reason the Roku Channel’s prominence looks especially strong: the app is available across Roku smart TVs and streaming devices by default.. Parks Associates also highlights how Roku extends its free content reach by making Roku Channel apps available on other platforms such as Samsung’s Tizen OS. Android TV (Google TV). and Amazon’s Fire TV.
That distribution detail matters because Roku devices tend to be especially common in American households.. The report says Roku competes for market share with Fire TV. and together the two platforms control around 80 percent of the connected TV (CTV) platform market by usage.. With that level of exposure. the advertising and subscription business connected to the Roku Channel is positioned to benefit from where viewers already spend their time.
Tubi’s discovery-to-use model is more demanding, which makes its top ranking notable.. The report characterizes Tubi as an opt-in experience: even though it’s available on connected TV platforms. many viewers need to seek out the app and install it before they can start streaming shows and movies.. By comparison. some device ecosystems make supported apps available by default. including Vizio and Xumo devices that carry Tubi without requiring the same initial searching step.
Parks Associates also points to how money follows audience behavior in the FAST category.. Tubi helped Fox Corporation generate nearly $2.2 billion in total ad revenue during the company’s most recent fiscal quarter. a figure that blends ad sales from the Fox broadcast network as well.. Still. executives have previously said that Tubi brings in more ad revenue than Fox. underscoring how the free platform is now part of the broader revenue story.
Pluto TV’s rise is framed differently, with Parks Associates linking its strength to longevity and familiarity.. The report says Pluto TV was among the first to offer free streaming content delivered through linear channels that resemble broadcast and cable networks.. But Paramount is also pushing more streamers toward Pluto TV’s video-on-demand catalog. arguing that it can deliver a better viewer experience and stronger monetization opportunities than the linear channels.
While the specifics vary across services. Parks Associates says one shared factor is becoming increasingly important for viewers: the price pressure spreading through premium subscription streaming.. The report notes that FAST services appear to benefit as prices climb across paid apps such as Netflix. Amazon’s Prime Video. and Disney Plus.
As subscription costs rise—often with annual adjustments—the report says viewers are more willing to incorporate free. ad-supported platforms like Tubi and the Roku Channel into their entertainment routines.. In that scenario. ads become the tradeoff for avoiding additional payments. helping explain why the free model can expand even when the paid landscape remains crowded.
Looking ahead. Parks Associates said Michael Goodman and the team will present additional data from the Streaming Video Tracker at the TV of Tomorrow Show (TVOT) in Montreal on May 21.. More findings are expected later at the company’s Future of Video conference in mid-November. where further reporting on streaming behavior will be shared.
The timing is especially notable for an industry watching how audiences respond to pricing, content availability, and platform placement.. In a streaming world where the “where” and the “how” of access can matter as much as the library itself. Tubi’s top ranking suggests that free services are no longer sitting on the sidelines—they are shaping the mainstream viewing diet.
Tubi FAST streaming Roku Channel Pluto TV Parks Associates free ad-supported streaming connected TV