Mumbai: In 2021, the total Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) viewership hours grew by 103 per cent, while the average session duration increased by eight per cent. Ad impressions grew by a robust 134 per cent, reminiscent of the $50 billion in ad opportunities up for grabs for content owners each year across FAST platforms, as per the latest edition of the FAST industry report by Amagi. With this, FAST is quickly becoming the content model of choice for viewers and brands alike.
The Amagi Global FAST Quarterly Report reveals 99 per cent growth in number of channels, 134 per cent growth in ad impressions, and 103 per cent growth in viewership hours on the Amagi platform. A global player in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV, FAST performance is accelerating across the globe, driven by subscription fatigue and consumers’ growing demand for linear viewing experiences.
In a trend that’s picking up, audiences are increasingly watching FAST TV via their mobile devices, in addition to Connected TV (CTV).
Across the board, these strong indicators of engagement mean now is the time for media players to leverage FAST’s rapid momentum and establish or extend their presence in the space. Amagi’s analysis of viewership and content monetisation trends for top ad-supported platforms across the US & Canada, EMEA, APAC, and Latin America for 2021 further suggests that FAST content is exploding, with channels ranging from niche to mainstream.
Global content brands are entering the FAST space at a rapid pace, adding a wide variety of mainstream and niche genres to the mix. While news continues to be the most sought-after content on ad-supported platforms, FAST channels are also offering audiences everything from movies, documentaries, music, horror, crime, food, travel, anime, sports, and more. In 2021, the genres with the greatest increase in channels were movies, sports and entertainment, closely followed by music, documentaries and news, reflecting their popularity among consumers in this increasingly crowded space.
Ad-supported streaming platforms are starting to see steady growth in their ad revenues. As top FAST services like Pluto TV and Tubi continue to up the game by investing in quality content, bringing audiences with them, advertisers are clearly following. In 2021 alone, ad impressions grew by a robust 134 per cent, reminding of the $50 billion in ad opportunities up for grabs for content owners each year across FAST platforms.
“With the remarkable rise of FAST TV, we’re seeing the promise and potential of ad-supported models begin to come to fruition,” says Amagi co-founder Srinivasan KA. “Consumers are exhausted by the cost and overwhelming choices of subscription services. Increasingly, they are clamoring for linear, 'lean back' viewing experiences across a wide range of genres—and our latest FAST report reflects that clearly.”
“As brands enter and expand into the FAST space at a rapid rate, competition is only growing fiercer. Our latest industry report confirms that continued investment in FAST remains essential. We expect 2022 to be a big year for innovation in the FAST universe—across programming, advertising and distribution—and will continue to report the data-backed insights content owners, streaming platforms and advertisers need to stay ahead in the streaming game,” he adds.
This third edition of Amagi’s FAST industry report aggregates data from its proprietary platform, Amagi Analytics, on viewership and content monetisation trends to uncover insights on top ad-supported platforms across the US & Canada, EMEA, APAC, and Latin America for 2021. The report analysed year-over-year growth of total hours of viewing (HOV) and ad impressions between December 2020 – December 2021, across 2000+ channels on 50+ FAST platforms on Amagi’s dynamic server-side ad insertion platform.
