The view of FAST channels can be a
complicated one when considering the full breadth of streaming and linear TV programming out there.
Can we drill down into all those overlapping behavioral and viewing trends -- among all the
different platforms? It can be a daunting task.
Proponents of the growth of free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels now tout all types of programming available for free on
those platforms.
The list includes movies, library TV shows, sports and non-scripted entertainment. But at the core comes cost.
The VAB analysis of an MRI Simmons study shows that 61%
of FAST viewers are "cord cutters" or "cord nevers."
What that means is that those consumers still like and want the ease of the live, cable TV experience --
just without the cost.
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FAST continues to climb in advertising revenue -- estimated to hit around $5 billion by 2028, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence/Kagan.
The desire
appears to be for the viewers to have a lot of content available -- without the concern that a collection of streaming platforms will raise its monthly prices every year. FAST is nice to have in the
back pocket for the average TV viewer/consumer.
Still, it would be interesting to gain a more in-depth understanding of what those 35% of “cord cutters” watch -- when they are not
watching FAST channels.
For starters, do they have one single premium "must-have" service, like Netflix? Or perhaps two (Netflix and Prime Video)? Or three?
Insights would also be
gained by examining overlapping viewing data with those premium services. Perhaps also how much those heavy FAST watchers and "cord shavers" actually pay for their smaller group of streaming
platforms.
One key programming element may be the growth of video podcasts, and "creator"-generated content.
Among FAST viewers, younger audiences are increasingly consuming content.
Those consumers may be seeing FAST as a dual connection with another growing platform -- YouTube.
By the way, isn’t that also a free, ad-supported service?