In the Era of 47.5% Streaming Share, AVOD and FAST Drive a Seismic Shift in Media

Tubi and Samsung TV Plus Both Cross 100 Million MAU, Ushering in the Free Streaming Era

CES 2026 C Space Studio Interview

▲ Interview at CES 2026 C Space Studio. Host James Kotecki (left) and Tubi CRO Jeff Lucas (right). Tubi's mascot rabbit plush sits on the table.

"Monoculture is dead. The era when everyone watched the same thing is over."

At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Tubi's Chief Revenue Officer Jeff Lucas declared a paradigm shift in the media industry from the C Space Studio stage. He was picking up the thread from CEO Anjali Sud's keynote message at the same venue last year.

His words were far from mere rhetoric. Just the day before, Nielsen's December 2025 "The Gauge" data backed up his claim. Streaming captured 47.5% of total TV viewing, setting an all-time record. At the heart of this shift are free ad-supported streaming services—AVOD (Ad-supported Video on Demand) and FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV)—led by platforms like Tubi.

Samsung Electronics also fired a powerful signal at the opening of CES 2026, announcing that Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users worldwide. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Tubi's 100 million MAU, this marks a historic moment when the two giants of the FAST market simultaneously crossed the 100 million threshold.