FAST Channels Market Growth, Trends and What Comes Next

Key Takeaways

• The global FAST channel count grew from around 100 in the U.S. in 2019 to over 3,500 worldwide - a 42% increase since 2023 alone.
• Growth is no longer U.S.-centric. The U.K., Germany, Brazil, and Asia-Pacific are all expanding rapidly.
• Sports and reality TV are the fastest-growing genres. Sports channels surged 105% in under a year. Reality grew 626%.
• Metadata gaps are the single biggest barrier to both viewer discovery and ad monetisation on FAST.
• AI-driven metadata enrichment, real-time captioning, and predictive programming are emerging as the primary solutions.

Introduction

FAST has come a long way from its early days as an experimental hybrid of traditional TV and digital streaming. What started as a niche model in the U.S. has become a global phenomenon - and the numbers bear that out.

In 2019, the U.S. hosted just over 100 unique FAST channels. By April 2023, that had grown to more than 1,600 - a 16x increase in four years. By 2025, global channel count exceeded 3,500, with platforms like Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, and the Roku Channel leading the way. North America still accounts for over 50% of the roughly $8 billion in global FAST revenues, but the growth story is increasingly international.

Global Expansion: Where FAST Is Growing Fastest

Between 2023 and early 2025, the total number of FAST channels globally increased by approximately 42%, with significant growth extending beyond North America.

Europe captured around 17% ($1.36 billion) of global FAST revenues in 2023. Projections suggest this share will rise to approximately 22% ($3.74 billion) by 2029. The U.K. alone hosted 643 unique FAST channels by late 2023, operated by 193 distinct channel owners, with platforms launching an average of 40 new channels per month.

Brazil is emerging as a major market. Omdia forecasts project it will become the third-largest FAST market globally by 2029, with revenues nearly tripling from $119 million in 2024 to approximately $303 million by 2029. The growth is driven by increased viewer preference for free-to-air streaming channels, particularly Pluto TV and Samsung TV Plus.

Samsung TV Plus has positioned itself as the leading FAST platform by channel count - nearly 700 channels in the U.S. by April 2025, and over 3,500 globally. The platform reported 88 million monthly active users in 2024 with a further 30% year-over-year engagement boost in 2025. On-demand library viewing hours jumped 177% year-over-year.

What People Watch on FAST in 2025

The idea that FAST is a dumping ground for old reruns is increasingly inaccurate. Only 13.4% of FAST content available today was produced before 1990, and just 30% before 2010. High-profile, recognisable titles now feature prominently across FAST platforms, including content traditionally associated with premium cable and SVOD.

The genre breakdown tells a more interesting story. Entertainment content (talk shows, game shows, live studio-based programmes) dominates with over 300 dedicated channels. But the fastest growth is in sports and reality:

Sports - FAST sports channels surged by over 105% between mid-2024 and February 2025, reaching 220 dedicated channels (13.6% of the total market). The shift goes beyond highlights and recaps. FOX streamed Super Bowl LIX live and free on Tubi. Roku's premium sports channel, launched in August 2024, now broadcasts live MLB games, Formula 1 races, and original sports programming.

Reality - The number of reality FAST channels grew by 626% in less than a year, from 19 channels in July 2024 to 138 by February 2025.

The pattern is clear: FAST is converging with traditional TV's programming strengths - sports, reality, and news - while adding the on-demand flexibility that digital audiences expect.

The Metadata Crisis

With 1,600+ channels and 178,000+ programmes on the average FAST platform, discovery is broken. In Nielsen's January 2025 survey, 73% of respondents said they needed multiple streaming apps to find something to watch. 48% had cancelled a service because they couldn't locate content that interested them. Nearly half.

The root cause is metadata - or more precisely, the lack of it.

According to the Gracenote FAST Report 2025, the gaps are substantial: 31% of FAST titles are missing genre information, 43% lack imagery (thumbnails or posters), and 58% have no audience ratings or maturity indicators. For viewers, this means scrolling blind. For a free service where switching costs nothing, that's a death sentence.

The ad targeting problem

FAST's entire revenue model depends on advertising, and in 2024 ad spend reached $9.4 billion - 75% of it bought programmatically. Programmatic buying relies on metadata signals at bid time to match ads with relevant content.

Channels with detailed metadata provide around 10 descriptive tags per programme for ad targeting. Channels without it provide less than one. The difference is stark: more metadata means more precise targeting, which means higher CPMs, better viewer tolerance for ads, and stronger returns for advertisers. Missing metadata doesn't just hurt discovery - it directly reduces revenue.

How AI Is Addressing the Problem

If metadata is both the root cause and the key to better viewer experiences and ad targeting, then the fix needs to operate at scale. That's where AI is proving most useful.

Metadata enrichment - Machine learning models now analyse video files to automatically generate detailed metadata, from genre and mood to cast, visuals, and themes. This brings structure to an otherwise inconsistent environment and helps both recommendation algorithms and programmatic ad buyers work with richer signals.

Real-time captioning and dubbing - In 2025, AI-Media and Lightning International launched a partnership to integrate live, burned-in captions across FAST channels in more than 50 languages. LEXI Voice offers AI-generated real-time dubbing - no studio recording required. A show airing in English can now be voiced on the fly in multiple languages, helping FAST platforms expand internationally without ballooning localisation costs.

Predictive programming - With enough data, machine learning models can predict which types of shows will perform best, when to launch a new channel, and what to retire before engagement drops. Companies like Cineverse are already testing predictive programming to help FAST operators make data-informed scheduling decisions.

AI isn't a magic fix for FAST's metadata problems, but it's the most scalable tool available - and the platforms investing in it now are the ones most likely to retain viewers and attract advertisers as the market matures.

How Allrites Fits In

Allrites works with FAST channel operators across content sourcing, licensing, and programming. Our content library spans thousands of hours across 30+ languages, and our flexible licensing models - including Content-as-a-Service - help operators keep programming fresh without the financial strain of traditional per-title licensing.

If you're operating or planning a FAST channel, let's talk.

Originally published June 2025. Updated May 2026.