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As Viewers Shift to Free Streaming, Ad Dollars and Live Sports Are Following

As Viewers Shift to Free Streaming, Ad Dollars and Live Sports Are Following

sports. media. finance.

JohnWallStreet

Apr 21, 2026

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As Viewers Shift to Free Streaming, Ad Dollars and Live Sports Are Following

Free ad-supported streaming television (or FAST) has long been a home to repackaged libraries of network TV content (think: Hell’s Kitchen or Star Trek reruns).

But that’s starting to change as viewership on free streaming platforms continues to scale. FAST channels are increasingly programming live sports and original digital first shows.

The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) introduced the Scripps Sports Network (SSN) in late March. The 24/7 free-ad supported distribution platform, carried across Ion television and Scripps-owned local stations, FAST endpoints, and cable & vMVPD providers, features a content lineup headlined by live PWHL and NWSL games. The schedule also programming includes Major League Volleyball matchups, Pro Cheer League competitions, Florida Panthers, Golden Knights, and Big Sky Conference games.

SSP’s decision to create a FAST channel for live sports underscores the category’s booming popularity. According to Nielsen, PlutoTV, Roku, and Tubi accounted for 5.7% of all TV viewing minutes in May ‘25—up from 3.7% 15 months prior (February ‘24).

“There is a huge shift right now of streaming viewership to free, particularly with the young audience. [Rights holders and owners need] to get on the wagon and embrace this,” Cathy Rasenberger (founder/president, Rasenberger Media) said.

Sports properties writ-large have been slow to lean into FAST. Rights constraints and its commercial model have been the main impediments.

FAST platforms tend to operate on a revenue-share basis sans minimum guarantees (typically, a 50/50 or 60/40 split between the service and content provider). And with relatively low CPMs, the perceived upside has been limited.

But advertising dollars are beginning to shift to where viewer eyes increasingly are. Connected TV (or CTV) spend, which includes FAST and also internet-connected hardware that serves as a gatekeeper, like Roku TV, is growing double-digits annually and the expectation is as live sports migrate to the platform, investment will accelerate further.

“That will be the magnet that brings in bigger brands and bigger budgets,” Rasenberger said. “You’re not ever going to get the massive reach of the Super Bowl [on a FAST channel], but [as a marketer] you can go deeper with your vertical and create all sorts of revenue-generating opportunities.”

WARC Media's Global Ad Trends report suggests CTV is on pace to command more than 40% of global video/TV ad spending by 2030.

Fubo was among the first sports-adjacent media properties to launch a dedicated FAST channel with its Fubo Sports Network back in 2019. CFO John Janedis suggested that the offering has started to pay dividends during an earnings call last summer. He called the Fubo Sports Network a ‘modest positive tailwind’ on the company’s overall ad sales growth.

Roku and Samsung have since introduced their own sports-branded channels.

The big four leagues have gotten in on the action too. The NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB have each introduced FAST channels largely stocked with archival content (think: classic games).

But as free streaming consumption grows and FAST channels begin to command higher advertising and sponsorship rates, the medium should become an increasingly viable part of the live game distribution mix for tier two and three properties.

“FAST has historically been undervalued because early monetization mirrored remnant digital pricing rather than the true value of the content and audience. As premium and live sports move into [the] ecosystem, that equation changes meaningfully,” Tamara Alesi (CEO of North America, Mediaplus Group) said. “What’s particularly compelling is FAST’s ability to combine premium content with digital-like targeting, data, and accountability. That combination positions these environments not just as alternatives to linear, but as next-generation premium video platforms, well suited to support higher CPMs over time.”

That is the bet Scripps is making.

However, for all the promise FAST offers, MLB’s Roku experience reflects how far it still must go on the commercial end to make sense for tier one properties. The streaming platform reportedly only paid ~$10 million annually for its ‘Sunday Leadoff’ package, a small fraction of the amount legacy broadcasters are spending on the sport.

ESPN pointed to MLB’s willingness to carve out lower-priced packages for partners like Roku and Apple as evidence its national deal was overpriced when announcing plans to walk away from the sport in February 2025. The two sides have since reconciled, but the league reportedly took a nine-figure haircut relative to the agreements ESPN opted out of to get the deal done.

The revenue share model will likely need to evolve before established sports properties move rights to FAST. That shift should occur over time.

“Live sports bring scarcity, appointment viewing, and deeply engaged audiences, dynamics that have always commanded a premium in linear and will increasingly do so in FAST as scale, measurement, and advertiser confidence mature,” Alesi said.

In the meantime, SSN has provided a template for how FAST can work for challenger properties today; pair the channel with a linear TV exposure (necessary for reach) and find a ‘foundational advertising partner’ willing to help fund content costs (see: State Farm).

“There is no single destination for sports fans anymore. It’s completely fragmented and the collapse of the RSNs is going to accelerate that. [Rights owners] need to create their own direct-to-consumer app now,” Rasenberger said.

The ad dollars will come.

About the Author: Deirdre Lester is a seasoned executive with more than two decades of experience at the intersection of sports, digital media, and business strategy. She has held senior leadership roles at Major League Baseball, Rivals.com, and Barstool Sports. Most recently, she served as CEO of Teton Ridge, leading efforts to elevate Western sports into mainstream entertainment. Deirdre is also an investor and advisor to several emerging sports and media properties, and serves as a JohnWallStreet Advisory advisor.

Looking for some help driving digital media revenue and want to talk with Deirdre? Reach out to Corey at JWS@JohnWallStreet.com and he’ll make the connection.

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