The number of people watching live over-the-air TV is about the same as those watching FAST linear TV. However, the two TV resources are complimentary, and an indoor antenna makes it easy to watch OTA.
Access to free TV is increasing in the US, thanks to FASTs
Over-the-air (OTA) antenna usage has remained steady in the US for the last several years, according to data from Hub Entertainment Research. About a third of consumers say they watch TV via an antenna, and 10% say they rely only on an antenna.
Interestingly, the rollout of NextGen TV does not seem to be impacting the usage of OTA. Proponents claim it will soon be available to 75% of US households by the end of 2023, and six stations in the Philadelphia area began broadcasting in the format this week. However, the Hub data shows it does not seem to motivate viewers to start watching OTA TV.
Over the same period, the number of people using free ad-supported TV (FAST) has exploded. TiVo says the number of free TV services used by US and Canadian adults increased from 2.4 in 2021 to 3.9 in 2022. Pluto TV confirms the trend, with monthly active users almost doubling between 2020 and 2023, from 43 million to 79 million.
Today, about the same number of people are watching live channels via FASTs as are watching them via OTA. TiVo says that 64% said they watched FAST services, with about half watching “live channel” content.
Over-the-air remains an important resource
On the face of it, FASTs seem to have seized the momentum. Across all services, they offer access to almost 1900 channels, all of which can be accessed by anyone in the US with a broadband connection. Increasingly, local broadcasters are launching channels on the services. For example, Fox and Gray Broadcasting launched local stations on Vizio’s WatchFree+ FAST service from ten markets.
There are over 7000 OTA channels available in the US. However, availability depends on a viewer’s proximity to a major metropolitan area. For example, in Zanesville, Ohio, residents can access three channels, while New Yorkers can watch 87.
However, significant differences between local TV channels and FAST channels continue to make OTA a valuable resource. Affiliates of national broadcasters deliver top sports, original entertainment programming, and national news, along with local news and interest shows. Those local broadcasters that have launched on FASTs can only provide local news and interest shows in their linear streams.
Blending OTA and FASTs is the best option for viewers, giving them the greatest content selection and flexibility.
Getting OTA easier than ever
One of the biggest barriers to watching OTA TV has been the antenna. Most people no longer have an antenna on their roof, and the performance of indoor antennas has been poor. However, there are signs that things are changing. NextGen TV promises much better reception than its predecessor ATSC 1.0. And indoor antennae are getting better.
I have a rooftop antenna pointed at Sutro Tower in San Franciso, which is around about 40 miles from my home location. Using my Sony TV, a channel scan shows I can receive 117 channels. Running the same test with a $70 Mohu Curve 60 indoor antenna, the TV found 70 channels.[i] More importantly, it found my local NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and PBS affiliates, ensuring I have access to local sports, top entertainment, and news.
[i] Mohu provided the antenna for this test to nScreenMedia. The company did not influence nScreenMedia’s evaluation of the device.
