Report: FAST Channel Revenues to Reach $12 Billion in 2027

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According to new research from Omdia, free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel revenue grew almost 20 times between 2019 and 2022 and is expected to triple between 2022 and 2027 to reach $12 billion.

Much of this growth will be driven by the U.S., which currently accounts for approximately 90 percent of the global FAST channel market, valued at just under $4 billion in 2022. By 2027, the U.S. FAST channel market is expected to exceed $10 billion in revenue.

Over the coming years, though, FAST channels are forecast to grow the quickest outside of the U.S.—driving the U.S. share of global revenue down to 86 percent by 2027. While the U.S. will continue to lead the market, a $1.6 billion revenue opportunity is expected to emerge for FAST channels outside of the U.S. by 2027.

Three of the five largest individual FAST markets in 2027 will be English-speaking nations, according to Omdia: the U.S., U.K. and Canada. The U.K. and Canada will have FAST markets worth over $500 million and $300 million, respectively, by 2027. Canada, Germany and Brazil will be in third, fourth and fifth place, respectively.

“The number of channels and revenue growth will be significant in the next five years,” said Omdia’s media and entertainment senior director, Maria Rua Aguete. “Improving content discovery will be critical to the success of those channels. FAST channels offer numerous benefits to content owners such as the option to monetize old and unused library content and offer as a new content bundle.”

Rua Aguete added, “Omdia forecasts that FAST channels in Germany will generate just over $200 million in the same year, when those in Brazil will hit revenues of $100 million—representing around half of the total Latin American FAST market, which will be worth $207 million in 2027. FAST revenue in Mexico will be $93 million in 2027, making it the seventh-largest individual FAST market.”