Escalating consumer frustration with the volume, fragmentation, and ever-increasing costs of carrying multiple subscription streaming services continues to drive the popularity of Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television, or FAST, to new heights.
According to recent studies, 41 percent of U.S. households today consume FAST programming from services like Tubi and Pluto TV, up from 31 percent in the previous year. Revenue generated from FAST channels, which now number more than 1,000 in the U.S. alone, is expected to reach $12 billion by 2027. Even established legacy service providers like DirecTV are moving into the FAST game in recognition of the growing interest and demand for personalized, compelling content.
Delivered as an over-the-top (OTT) service viewable on any connected device, FAST offers a mix of on-demand content and live TV channels, all at no charge. In addition to cost savings, the ease with which programming can now be accessed is another key factor driving FAST’s phenomenal upward trajectory. An internet connection and an internet-connected device are all that is needed for viewing FAST content. With nearly 79 percent of U.S. households now owning at least one smart, connected TV in the home, according to Nielsen, accessing FAST content has never been easier.
Because it is delivered via an Internet connection, the continued growth of FAST is inextricably linked to the presence of reliable, uninterrupted, and robust high-speed connectivity. For this reason, satellite networks can potentially play a critical role in helping content creators, distributors, and FAST service providers maximize audience reach and ensure content can be delivered to viewers in rural or remote locations where terrestrial connectivity is lacking, absent, or insufficient.
One might assume that, in this day and age, connectivity speeds required for FAST are readily available all across modernized countries like the U.S. However, the opposite is true as a digital divide persists. Despite a range of broadband equity and access programs launched by the FCC, nearly 24 million people, or 7 percent of the U.S. population, still lack access to high-speed internet in 2024. Sometimes the lack of connectivity is due to location. In other cases, low-income families simply cannot afford internet services. In either case, as it stands today, these millions of people are not reachable by FAST providers relying solely on terrestrial connectivity options.
Satellite offers a cost-effective option for transmitting high-quality video and audio content across an extensive coverage area, including large remote geographic regions. Using satellite connectivity, FAST providers can effectively expand their respective audiences and reach greater numbers of viewers. Additionally, satellite offers a crucial level of redundancy should terrestrial networks become disabled or unusable.
As FAST providers increase investment in original content generation, add new channels with a seemingly limitless variety of content, and seek to accelerate revenue generation from advertisers, reaching as vast an audience as possible will become the paramount mission. This mission can only be achieved when ubiquitous high-speed connectivity is available in all possible viewing locations. For FAST providers eager to challenge the subscription streaming landscape and capture greater shares of streaming viewers, satellite continues to emerge as a viable and optimal option for delivering quality content to expanding, diverse, and discerning global audiences.
