In this special highlights episode of Inside Content, we bring together conversations from across the FAST ecosystem to explore how the market is evolving beyond its initial growth phase. FAST is now an established part of the content business, but the focus is shifting from simply launching channels to making the model work more effectively in practice.
Across recent episodes, we spoke with leaders from Blue Ant, Fremantle, Fuse, Samsung TV Plus Italy, ITV Studios and Studio71. Each company approaches FAST from a different position, from content ownership and distribution to platform curation, advertising sales and creator-led programming. Together, their perspectives show how FAST is becoming a more mature, operationally demanding and strategically important part of the wider streaming market.
The starting point is that FAST has moved beyond the experimental stage. For early movers such as Blue Ant, FAST has become a meaningful revenue pillar and an important part of a diversified channels and streaming strategy. Carlyn Staudt’s perspective highlights how companies that leaned into FAST early have been able to build audience growth, test new windows and create additional value from owned IP.
At the same time, Fremantle’s Jens Richter gives auseful reality check on where the market stands today. FAST has scale, particularly in the US, but the opportunity is not uniform across all markets. The model requires dedicated teams, scheduling, marketing, media asset management and cost discipline. It is no longer enough to treat FAST as a simple extension of library distribution.
That operational discipline is also central to Fuse’s view of the market. Patrick Courtney describes how FAST has become more like Pay TV in some respects, particularly around programming, scheduling and channel management. But the economics are different. FAST is built around advertising, without the dual revenue stream of carriage fees and ad sales that supported traditional Pay TV. That makes operators more exposed to advertising market fluctuations and puts greater pressure on right-sizing the business.
As the market matures, the focus is also shifting from volume to quality. Samsung TV Plus Italy’s Cristina Sala makes this clear through the platform’s approach to curation. FAST is not just about adding more free channels. It is about selecting content that fits the market, the brand and the viewer experience. In Italy, that means a mix of broadcaster partnerships, single-IP channels, international brands, film, documentaries, news, sports and locally relevant programming.
ITV Studios brings a similar point of view from the IP-owner side. Through Zoo55, ITV Studios has built a large FAST presence, but Ruth Berry makes the point that this has not been about throwing out as many channels as possible. Instead, the focus has been on channels audiences already recognise and want to watch, including brands such as Hell’s Kitchen, River Monsters and Love Island. This reflects a broader shift in FAST from channel volume to clearer brand and IP strategy.
Local content planning is becoming equally important. Cristina Sala’s examples from Samsung TV Plus Italy show how FAST performance can depend on understanding local audience habits. Sports and live events remain important, but so do soaps, seasonal pop-up channels, recognisable talent and programming tied to cultural moments. Her message to distributors is direct: success requires more than assembling a channel. It needs planning, local market knowledge and a clear reason for why a channel should launch at a particular moment.
Monetisation is another area where the market is becoming more sophisticated. Fuse’s FAST strategy shows how companies are thinking beyond individual channel launches and towards scale, audience positioning and ad-sales infrastructure. Culture Collective is a good example of this, bringing together a group of channels with a clear multicultural audience proposition. As programmatic advertising becomes more important, scale and clear audience definition are becoming essential parts of the FAST business.
The next phase of FAST is also opening the door to new content models. Studio71’s Samir Asthana brings the creator economy into the conversation, explaining how digital-native content can be repackaged for OTT and FAST environments. Creator content already has a direct relationship with audiences, but moving it into FAST requires more than simply placing YouTube videos into a channel feed. Studio71 looks at episode length, content volume, formatting, transitions, branding and retention to make creator-led channels feel more like a TV experience.
This is where the future of FAST becomes more interesting. The market is not only about traditional TV libraries or single-IP channels. It is also becoming a space where creators, broadcasters, studios and platforms can test new forms of audience engagement and monetisation. But across all of these examples, the common theme is execution. FAST may be free for viewers, but it is not simple for operators.
This special highlights episode brings together these perspectives to show how FAST is entering a more mature phase. The opportunity remains significant, with companies finding new ways to use FAST for audience growth, IP monetisation, content discovery and advertising. As the market evolves, success will depend on strong content, careful curation, local market understanding, platform relationships and a clear strategy for where FAST sits within the wider distribution mix.
Key topics:
● FAST as a revenue pillar for content owners and platform businesses
● The shift from channel volume to quality and curation
● How local market knowledge is shaping FAST content strategy
● The role of IP owners in building recognisable FAST channel brands
● FAST monetisation, programmatic advertising and audience scale
● Why creator-led content is becoming a bigger part of the FAST conversation
● The operational requirements behind successful FAST channels
● How FAST fits into wider streaming, D2C and IP monetisation strategies
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