Liam O'ConnellTubi, the free ad-supported streaming platform owned by Fox Corporation, has recorded 40% growth in viewed hours in Australia over the past year, along with a 30% rise in daily active users and 27% more monthly active users between January–February 2025 and the same period in 2026. The platform now offers more than 125,000 movies and TV episodes to Australian audiences — making it the largest free streaming content library in the market.
For most Australians, Tubi represents a welcome alternative to an ever-growing stack of monthly subscription bills. For IT professionals, digital strategists, and small business owners, it signals something more significant: a structural shift in how Australians consume digital content — and what it means for your advertising reach, your technology stack, and your digital strategy.
What Is FAST and Why Has It Taken Off?
Tubi operates on what the industry calls a FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) model. You watch for free; advertisers pay to reach you. It is, in essence, commercial television reimagined for connected devices — smart TVs, streaming sticks, tablets, and phones.
The timing of its Australian surge is not accidental. After several years of rapid subscription growth, the average Australian household is now juggling between four and six paid streaming services. Subscription fatigue has set in. According to industry data, Tubi's viewed hours surged precisely as subscription cancellations across Netflix, Disney+, and others hit record levels in Australia.
The global FAST landscape reflects this. Tubi became the first dedicated FAST service to surpass 100 million monthly active users globally in mid-2025, according to the platform's own reporting. Connected TV ad spend in Australia is projected to surpass AUD $2 billion by 2029, according to ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) market data — nearly double 2025 investment levels.
Why Businesses Need to Pay Attention
If you run a small or medium business that advertises digitally, Tubi's growth changes the conversation in three ways.
Advertising reach is shifting to FAST. The audience watching free, ad-supported content is not the same as the audience paying for premium streaming. FAST viewers tend to skew toward cost-conscious households — a demographic that may have previously been reachable through free-to-air TV but is now migrating to streaming devices. Businesses that only advertise on social media or search may be missing this segment entirely.
Connected TV (CTV) advertising is increasingly programmatic. Tubi's recent partnership with OpenX and News Australia to expand programmatic access to its Australian CTV inventory means that businesses can now buy audience-targeted advertising on Tubi through the same demand-side platforms they use for digital display. This lowers the cost barrier that once made TV advertising inaccessible for SMEs.
Your internal tech stack may need updating. If your business uses streaming for internal communications — onboarding videos, training content, marketing materials — the shift toward FAST consumption habits has implications. Staff are increasingly accustomed to ad-interrupted, free-tier content experiences. Understanding how to structure your internal digital content so it holds attention in an environment of constant low-cost alternatives is a genuine IT and communications challenge.
The Security Dimension: What Free Always Costs
Free streaming platforms are not without risk. Tubi is legitimate and backed by a major media company, but the FAST ecosystem includes dozens of smaller platforms with varying security standards. As Australian businesses increasingly evaluate FAST platforms for advertising or content delivery, IT teams should be aware of several security considerations.
Data privacy compliance. FAST platforms rely on extensive audience data to deliver targeted advertising. Before integrating any streaming platform into a business's marketing technology stack, IT teams should review data processing agreements against Australia's Privacy Act 1988 obligations, particularly around third-party data sharing and the transfer of audience data offshore.
Ad fraud in programmatic CTV. The programmatic advertising supply chain — while more efficient — introduces ad fraud risk. Invalid traffic, domain spoofing, and ad stacking are documented problems in the CTV ecosystem. Businesses running CTV campaigns should work with IT and marketing partners to implement proper verification tools.
Employee streaming on work networks. As free platforms multiply, IT teams are seeing increased use of personal streaming accounts on corporate Wi-Fi. This is rarely a significant security risk in isolation, but it does affect bandwidth management and can expose the business to content liability issues if platforms are used on shared or public-facing devices.
Getting Your Digital Strategy Ready for the FAST Era
The practical advice for Australian businesses is straightforward. If you have not yet reviewed your digital advertising mix to include CTV and FAST platforms, the Tubi growth data is a useful prompt to start that conversation. If you are uncertain how to evaluate platforms, audit your privacy compliance, or integrate programmatic CTV into your media buying — an IT consultant with digital advertising experience can help you build a strategy that is both cost-effective and compliant.
The 40% viewed-hours growth is not a curiosity. It reflects a genuine preference shift among Australian consumers. The businesses that adapt their digital strategy to meet audiences where they now watch will have a structural advantage over those still optimising for platforms that audiences are gradually leaving behind.
