As viewer fatigue with rising subscription prices fuels the explosive growth of free ad-supported TV, publisher ad ops teams must master new tools and strategies to maximize yield.
Streaming platforms, brands and consumers have all had to adapt to the ongoing evolution of CTV streaming. And as more ad-supported streaming options have become available, it’s opening up more opportunities for publisher ad ops teams.
With subscription prices rising across the board and viewers increasingly favoring free ad-supported TV (FAST) options like YouTube and Tubi, ad ops teams are being asked to do more, faster and with sharper precision than ever before.
Let’s break down the operational implications of this “stream-flation” moment and how publisher teams can take advantage of new ways to maximize their yield.
Subscription Fatigue Sends Viewers Running to FAST
When you consider the rising costs of ad-free streaming, the shift to ad-supported platforms isn’t all that surprising.
Monthly ad-free access to the top eight US streaming services now costs roughly $122, up from $83 in 2021, according to Business Insider. Platforms like Disney+, HBO Max and Peacock have made multiple pricing adjustments over the past 18 months. And these streaming platforms haven’t spared their less-expensive ad-supported subscription tiers from price hikes, either.
As a result, viewers are pivoting to free services. YouTube’s share of connected TV viewing increased from 5.7% in May 2021 to 12.8% in June 2025, according to Nielsen, surpassing the combined shares of Netflix and Disney+. FAST platforms, such as Tubi and The Roku Channel, are experiencing similar momentum.
New Operational Challenges for Ad Ops
As more eyeballs migrate to FAST, ad ops teams must manage increasingly complex ad inventory ecosystems. This includes juggling higher volumes of programmatic and direct-sold campaigns and enforcing tighter brand safety controls.
Enhancing data transparency to maintain advertiser trust is also a growing priority, especially given the fragmentation of CTV and concerns about low-quality inventory being mixed in with more premium content. Operations teams must ensure seamless ad delivery and detailed performance reporting to maximize yield and retention.
While FAST is ascendant, subscription video on demand (SVOD) giants like Netflix and HBO Max are hiking prices and cracking down on password sharing to boost their average revenue per user. But because viewers have many free options to choose from instead, SVOD platforms risk pushing subscribers away with these aggressive revenue-boosting tactics.
Given the prevailing trends, it’s worth wondering whether SVOD is slowly becoming a relic of the past.
But rather than SVOD going away entirely, the more likely scenario is that streaming platforms will be under more pressure to adopt hybrid monetization models with options for subscriptions, ad-supported tiers and cross-platform bundles. Which means publisher ad ops teams will need agile systems that can shift between subs, ads and bundles.
Mastering Streaming’s Next Evolution
Monetization success in today’s ad-supported streaming economy means working seamlessly across demand types, including upfront ad buys, programmatic guaranteed and private marketplace deals and pure open auction. But the persistence of subscription models means publisher teams must also manage customer acquisition and cross-promotional efforts with streaming partners.
Ad ops teams must also enable fulfillment and reporting across different inventory sources and viewer platforms, all while delivering the accountability advertisers demand.
The platforms are changing, the models are maturing and the margin for inefficiency is disappearing. For publishers, mastering these ops challenges is the path to future-proofing revenue—and leading the pack through the next phase of streaming evolution.