Welcome to The tvRoom. Your weekly digest of television, streaming, and digital media insights.
This week we're covering:
- 🚘 The FAST Market is Maintaining Pole Position
- 🛋 Sant Lucia Proves the Power of Armchair Vacationing
- 🎬 Creative Spotlight: Apple : “Great ideas start on Mac”
- 💄 Plus, e.l.f. Tests Twitch’s First Shoppable Ads Live
FAST Viewing Levels Off as Streaming Settles
45% of US internet households now watch free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services, but new data from Parks Associates suggests the rapid growth phase may be over.
The research firm's latest findings reveal a complex streaming landscape where traditional growth patterns are shifting. While 89% of internet households maintain at least one streaming subscription, FAST usage declined in Q1 2025, marking what Parks Associates calls a potential plateau.
This shift raises the bar for advertisers to deploy sharper, more integrated campaigns to retain viewership.
The ad-supported revolution continues
Despite FAST's slowdown, the broader ad-supported streaming trend remains strong. Among households using the top eight subscription services, 59% choose basic tiers that include ads, a sign that viewers will accept commercials for lower prices.
Connected TV platforms are capitalizing on this shift by expanding ad addressability and measurement capabilities, which Parks notes is driving higher advertising rates across the board.
Traditional pay-TV continues its steady decline, with spending dropping significantly from post-pandemic peaks. Meanwhile, transactional video on demand (TVOD) is bouncing back as consumers show renewed interest in renting single events, particularly live sports and major film releases.
What this means for advertisers
The data paints a picture of streaming maturity rather than explosive growth. Parks Associates reports that household video spending appears to have stabilized in 2025 after previous declines, with consumers adopting cost-conscious strategies like rotating subscriptions and dropping overlapping services.
The era of easy wins in a rapidly expanding FAST environment is behind us. Now, it takes precision targeting and campaigns that can cut through the noise of a saturated streaming environment to vie for viewers’ attention.
Read More:
TV Industry Updates
- TV everywhere: Sant Lucia’s tourism campaign proved CTV ads shine off the couch too, scoring 98% completion rates across devices.
- Two-head takeover: Paramount added former Roku exec Jay Askinasi to its top sales team, without replacing current chief John Halley.
- Studio swap meet: Warner Bros. Discovery weighed its options after getting unsolicited buyout offers for parts or all of the company.
- Fast track: Apple teased its Formula 1 film and ad tie-in, gearing up Apple TV for a high-speed 2025 launch.
- Stream maze: Viewers spent nearly 12 minutes searching for something to watch, double last year’s scroll time.
- Ad-tivists unite: TVIQ rolled out a plan for publishers to keep 60% of their CTV inventory and reclaim control from platforms.
Creative Spotlight: Apple: “Great ideas start on Mac”
Apple reimagined its iconic “Shot on Mac” storytelling lens as a meditation on creativity itself, voiced by the late primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall.
The details:
- Directed by Mike Mills and developed by TBWA\Media Arts Lab, the spot features scientists, designers, and makers using Macs to turn imagination into impact.
- Featured creators included ocean engineer Bruce Strickrott, fashion designer Ruchika Sachdeva, activist Alice Wong, and robotics team 1x Technologies.
- An original score by Emile Mosseri builds from a flicker of sound to soaring momentum, mirroring the moment an idea comes to life.
What We Loved: Apple took a minimalist concept, a cursor, and a voice, and made it profound, turning the act of beginning into the emotional center of its brand story.
Marketing Mix
- Elf mode ON: e.l.f. Cosmetics became the first brand to test Twitch’s shoppable ads, letting viewers buy without leaving.
- Skip or stay: Instagram tested skippable ads in Reels, echoing YouTube’s format to balance ads with user control.
- Cava’s gamer quest: Cava teamed with Fortnite pro Clix for a loyalty challenge offering perks and a custom gaming PC.
- TikTok timeout: Ongoing US uncertainty pushed advertisers to rethink 2026 budgets amid ownership questions.
- Doughboy deluxe: Pillsbury opened its mascot’s home through an AR experience celebrating 60 years of Doughboy.
- Creator tip-off: The NBA launched a creator-driven “algorithm takeover” to remix content across social platforms.
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