AVOD, SVOD, and FAST are the three revenue models in streaming. They determine who pays for the content — the advertiser, the subscriber, or both — and whether advertising is possible at all.
- AVOD (ad-supported video on demand): Content is free to the viewer. Funded by advertising. The viewer watches on-demand content and sees ads in pre-roll and mid-roll positions. In India: JioCinema free tier, MX Player, Zee5 free, YouTube. This is where CTV advertising runs in India today.
- SVOD (subscription video on demand): Viewer pays a recurring fee. No advertising (on the pure SVOD tier). In India: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, the paid tiers of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. Advertisers cannot buy inventory here unless the platform adds an ad-supported option.
- FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV): Free, linear-style channels delivered over the internet. A fixed schedule plays continuously — like a broadcast channel, but streamed. Ads run in breaks. In India: not yet established as a major ad category as of 2026. Dominant in the US (Pluto TV, Tubi).
For media buyers: the only models that matter for buying are AVOD and FAST. When a platform says it is "ad-supported," confirm whether it is AVOD (on-demand) or FAST (linear-style). The ad format, buying method, and audience behaviour differ between them.
Watch for hybrid platforms: JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar offer both AVOD (free tier) and SVOD (paid tier) within the same app. Always confirm which tier your inventory comes from. The audience on the free AVOD tier is typically larger and broader; the paid SVOD tier audience is smaller but signals higher willingness-to-pay.
Full guide
For a complete explanation, read: AVOD, SVOD, and FAST explained: the three content models driving CTV advertising