The news: Free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) is becoming an increasingly important part of the connected TV (CTV) landscape as audience interest skyrockets, per a new Wurl study. But advertisers are lagging in adopting the channel as a key part of their media mix.

Among Wurl’s findings:

• Monthly active households watching FAST grew 12% YoY, and average daily FAST viewing hours per household grew 16%.
• As watch time increases, so does engagement. Average channel session duration grew 25% YoY, and viewers are watching more channels than they did a year ago.
• But premium ad inventory is still widely available: Ad rates are lower than in previous years, indicating opportunity for advertisers to invest early in an emerging market.