Samsung TV Plus vs Pluto TV vs Roku Channel: Where Should Your FAST Channel Live?

By Sampath Mallidi, CEO of Revidd · Last updated June 2026

Once you have built a FAST channel, the next question is where it should be carried. Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel are three of the largest FAST destinations, and they are not mutually exclusive. Here is how they differ and how to decide.

Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel are major FAST distribution platforms where viewers watch free ad-supported channels, each reaching audiences through different devices and ecosystems. They are distribution destinations, not platforms you build your channel on, and the right strategy is usually to be carried on more than one to maximize reach. Which to prioritize depends on where your target audience already watches.

Here is the comparison and the decision.

What Are These FAST Platforms?

Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel are large, free, ad-supported streaming services that carry FAST channels and reach viewers through their respective ecosystems. They are where audiences discover and watch free channels, and where a broadcaster wants its FAST channel listed.

• Samsung TV Plus: the built-in free streaming service on Samsung smart TVs (and some Galaxy devices), reaching the large installed base of Samsung TV owners.

• Pluto TV: a cross-platform free streaming service available on many devices, with a large, well-established FAST channel lineup.

• The Roku Channel: Roku's own free streaming hub, reaching the large base of Roku device and Roku TV users.

A key distinction: Samsung TV Plus and The Roku Channel are tied to their hardware ecosystems (Samsung TVs, Roku devices), while Pluto TV is more device-agnostic. None is a platform you use to create your channel; you build the channel elsewhere and seek carriage on these.

These are large destinations. Samsung reports that Samsung TV Plus passed 100 million monthly active users globally, and the broader FAST category keeps growing: Statista projects the US free ad-supported streaming TV market will keep expanding through the end of the decade (Statista, 2024). For a broadcaster with a library, that means the audience is already sitting on these services. The job is getting your channel in front of them.

Samsung TV Plus vs Pluto TV vs Roku Channel at a Glance

Here is how the three FAST distribution platforms compare on the points that matter to a broadcaster deciding on carriage.

All three operate on the same basic model: they curate the channels they carry, list them in their guide, sell or share the ad inventory, and split revenue with the channel owner. None lets you self-publish. The differences that matter are which devices each one reaches and which already match where your audience watches.

How Do You Decide Where Your FAST Channel Should Live?

Decide based on where your target audience watches and aim to be carried on multiple platforms rather than choosing only one. Because each platform reaches viewers through a different device ecosystem, being on several maximizes total reach.

Questions to guide the decision:

• Where is your audience? If your viewers skew toward Samsung TV owners, Samsung TV Plus matters more; toward Roku households, The Roku Channel; broad and cross-device, Pluto TV.

• What is the carriage process and revenue share? Each platform curates the channels it carries and operates a revenue-share model; terms and fit vary.

• Can you support multiple? A well-produced channel delivered as a clean HLS stream with proper EPG data can be distributed to several platforms, so multi-platform carriage is the goal, not a single choice.

The practical answer for most broadcasters is "as many relevant ones as will carry you," because reach is additive across ecosystems.

How Do You Get Carried on These Platforms?

You get carried by producing a professional, properly formatted FAST channel and entering a distribution arrangement with each platform, which curates and lists it, usually under a revenue share. You do not self-publish the way you upload to social media; each platform decides what it carries.

What helps: a clearly themed channel that fills a gap in their lineup, cleared content, reliable technical delivery (a clean HLS stream with accurate EPG and metadata), and ideally a platform provider that already has distribution relationships. This is where working with an established FAST platform shortens the path, building the channel is in your control, but carriage is a relationship. Our guides on how to launch a FAST channel and the best FAST channel platforms cover the build and the distribution support.

What Do You Need to Deliver to Get Carried?

Each platform expects a broadcast-grade channel delivered to a technical spec, not a rough live feed. At minimum that means a clean HLS output, an accurate EPG so your programs show up correctly in the guide, and SCTE-35 markers so the platform can insert ads at the right breaks. Without these, your channel either gets rejected or runs badly once it is live.

The pieces a FAST destination typically expects:

• A clean, stable HLS stream. If you are unclear on the format, our explainer on what HLS streaming is covers why it is the standard for delivery to these services.

• Accurate EPG data. The guide entry is how viewers find and trust your channel. See what an EPG is for why this matters for discovery.

• SCTE-35 ad markers. These tell the platform where ad breaks go, which is how the channel earns its share of the ad revenue.

• Cleared content and consistent scheduling. A themed, reliably scheduled lineup is easier to carry than a thin or erratic one.

• Failover. A channel that goes dark damages the relationship. Revidd's Rescue Playlist failover keeps the stream up if a source drops.

Get these right once and the same channel can be submitted to several destinations. Get them wrong and every platform conversation stalls on technical fixes.

Build Once, Distribute Everywhere

The Samsung TV Plus vs Pluto TV vs Roku Channel question is rarely about picking one winner. It is about building a channel good enough to be carried on all of them and reaching your audience wherever they already watch. If you want a broadcast-grade FAST channel built once and distributed across Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and your own apps, book a demo. We will show how Revidd builds the channel and supports getting it carried. Revidd powers FAST, live, and on-demand streaming for broadcasters across 15 countries from one integration to every major screen.

FAQ

What is the difference between Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel?
They are major free ad-supported (FAST) distribution platforms reaching viewers through different ecosystems: Samsung TV Plus via Samsung smart TVs, The Roku Channel via Roku devices and TVs, and Pluto TV across many devices. They carry FAST channels rather than being platforms you build on.

Where should I distribute my FAST channel?
Wherever your target audience watches, and ideally on multiple platforms. Reach is additive across ecosystems, so being carried on Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and your own apps maximizes total audience.

Are these platforms where I build my FAST channel?
No. They are distribution destinations. You build and own your FAST channel on a streaming platform, then seek carriage on Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel, each of which curates and lists channels under a revenue share.

How do I get my channel carried on these platforms?
By producing a professional, themed channel with cleared content and clean HLS delivery and accurate EPG data, then entering a distribution arrangement with each platform. Working with a FAST platform that has distribution relationships shortens the process.

Can one FAST channel be on multiple platforms?
Yes. A single well-produced FAST channel can be distributed to Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and your own branded apps simultaneously, which is the recommended approach for maximizing reach.