SVOD, AVOD, and FAST are the three revenue models in streaming, and they determine who pays for the content and whether advertising is possible.
- SVOD (subscription video on demand): Viewers pay a recurring subscription fee. The platform earns from subscriptions and carries no advertising on the core tier. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and the paid tiers of JioHotstar are SVOD. Advertisers cannot buy inventory against pure SVOD content unless the platform has added an ad-supported tier.
- AVOD (ad-supported video on demand): Content is free to viewers. The platform earns from advertising. Viewers watch on-demand content and see pre-roll and mid-roll ads. In India: JioHotstar free tier, MX Player, Zee5 free catalogue, YouTube on CTV. This is the dominant CTV advertising environment in India.
- FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV): Free linear channels delivered over the internet. Unlike AVOD, the viewer does not choose what to watch or when — the channel plays a fixed schedule, like a broadcast TV channel streamed online. Ads run in scheduled breaks. FAST is large in the US (Pluto TV, Tubi) but nascent in India as of 2026.
For India CTV media buyers, AVOD is the primary model to plan around. Most hybrid platforms — which operate both SVOD and AVOD tiers — make their advertising inventory available through the AVOD tier. When a platform reports its audience, always establish what proportion is on the ad-supported tier versus the paid tier. Your ads only reach the former.
For publishers deciding which model to adopt: AVOD is most viable when the content catalogue is large enough to attract audience at scale without a payment barrier. SVOD works for premium original content with strong brand recognition. Hybrid is increasingly the default for platforms that need both a mass audience (AVOD) and premium revenue extraction (SVOD).
Full guide
For a complete explanation, read: SVOD vs AVOD vs FAST: choosing the right CTV revenue model for India