Consumers Turning to Free, Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) Services for Live TV, New Horowitz Study Reveals

In a rapidly evolving media landscape, free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services have quickly become the leading source for live viewing.

IRVING, TX, UNITED STATES, June 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The majority (85%) of American consumers watch at least some live TV content, according to Horowitz’s latest annual report, State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Viewing Behaviors 2025. While older viewers (91% of 50+ year-olds) tend to be more likely to watch live TV, most younger viewers (78% of 18-34 year-olds and 81% of consumers ages 35-49) report doing so as well. In fact, the Horowitz study finds that almost 6 in 10 (57%) consumers spend at least half of their viewing time with live content. Predictably, live news and sports are the most popular live genres, followed by current episodes of new TV shows.

In a rapidly evolving media landscape, free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services have quickly become the leading source for live viewing, with 40% of live viewers saying they typically watch live TV on FAST, followed by traditional cable/satellite providers (36%), subscription streaming services (33%), YouTube (19%), and virtual MVPD services (16%). Younger live viewers (53% of 18-34 year-olds and 47% of consumers ages 35-49) are much more likely to use FAST services to watch live TV content than their older counterparts (29% of 50+ year-olds).

“The rising dominance of FAST services for live TV viewing is an important and welcome development for everyone in the media ecosystem,” notes Adriana Waterston, Executive Vice President and Insights & Strategy Lead for Horowitz Research, a division of M/A/R/C Research. “It is critical for the health of the media ecosystem to offset the loss of advertising revenue in the traditional television space, and FAST is providing that path to sorely needed equilibrium. Further, it is giving advertisers a direct route to younger, Gen Z audiences, whom traditional TV advertising has not been effective at reaching.”

The State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Viewing Behaviors 2025 study explores viewing behaviors in the complex media landscape. We examine share of viewing per platform, the devices they’re watching on, the kind of content they’re consuming, and which services they feel do the best job at delivering the content they seek. The survey was conducted in March 2025 among 2,000 consumers 18+ who are decision makers about subscription services in their home. Data have been weighted to ensure results are representative of the overall U.S. population. The report is available in total market, FOCUS Latinx, FOCUS Black, and FOCUS Asian editions.

CONTACT

For more information about the State of Media, Entertainment & Tech: Viewing Behaviors 2025 report, visit: https://www.horowitzresearch.com/syndicated-research/state-of-media-viewing/. To purchase the report, schedule an interview with an analyst, or to request specific data, please contact Adriana Waterston: adrianaw@horowitzresearch.com, 914-325-4516.

ABOUT HOROWITZ RESEARCH, A DIVISION OF M/A/R/C^® RESEARCH

Horowitz Research is a leading provider of consumer market research specializing in consumers and their relationships to media, content, and technology with a particular expertise in cultural insights among America’s Black, Latinx, Asian, international, LGBTQIA+, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha audiences. The company offers a full suite of à la carte syndicated reports as well as custom quantitative and qualitative consumer research for companies ranging from small start-ups to the Fortune 500. In 2023, Horowitz Research was acquired by M/A/R/C^® Research, a Texas-based research and insights firm. For more information, visit www.horowitzresearch.com.

Tasha Mitchell
Horowitz Research, A Division of M/A/R/C Research
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