Growth of Global FAST Channels Surges Nearly 14% in 2025, Highlights New Streaming Trends

The Accelerated Growth of FAST Channels in 2025

The landscape of streaming entertainment is evolving at a rapid pace, particularly with the increasing dominance of FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channels. Gracenote, the renowned content data business unit of Nielsen, has recently unveiled significant developments in their Data Hub, detailing an almost 14% increase in the number of active FAST channels just within the first half of 2025. This surge alone highlights a notable 76% growth since 2023, which sets the stage for an exciting era for streaming content.

Gracenote's expanded Data Hub resource now includes comprehensive insights into nearly 1,850 active FAST channels, facilitating a deeper understanding of global streaming trends and the types of programs that resonate with audiences. By bridging the overview of these FAST channels with subscription video on demand (SVOD) platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix, and Paramount+, the Data Hub resource enhances genre-based comparisons and content analysis based on viewer preferences.

Key Trends and Insights

Launched in November 2024, the Data Hub was designed to enhance visibility into various catalogs across leading SVOD platforms. However, with the recent updates, it now encompasses over 645,000 TV shows, movies, and sports programs on SVOD services and more than 197,000 programs on global FAST channels. An intriguing aspect of the content on FAST channels is that they present a larger percentage of recent programming compared to SVOD offerings. Approximately 50% of FAST programming was created within the last five years, versus only about one-third of content on premium SVOD platforms. When looking at content produced within the last 15 years, FAST channels exhibit an impressive 80% versus 68.5% for SVOD.

The Significance of TV Programming

Considering the scheduled nature of FAST channels, the prevalence of TV programming is striking. The analysis indicates that nearly 93.1% of available content on FAST is comprised of TV shows when calculating individual episodes. This is slightly higher than the 88.8% observed on top SVOD platforms. However, the sports programming category has seen fluctuating trends; while SVOD has enjoyed a 13.2% growth in sports content over the last quarter, FAST channels experienced a 3.7% decline during the same period yet still maintained a positive year-to-date growth of 14%.

Genre Composition and Growth

The study also delved into FAST genre composition, revealing that documentary programming occupies the largest share at 16.1%, followed closely by dramas at 10.6% and news programming at 9.9%. In terms of growth, the news category surged by 37%, while horror-themed programming saw a 30% rise, marking an exciting period for genre diversity within FAST programming.

In contrast, major SVOD platforms boosted their offerings by an average of 9.8% in the past three months, with Amazon leading the charge by adding 12.6% more titles, followed by Paramount+'s increase of 6.4%. This continuous expansion underscores the dynamic competition in the streaming landscape, fueled by shifting viewer preferences and demands for diverse content.

Conclusion

As Gracenote’s Data Hub continues to yield pivotal insights into the world of streaming, it becomes clear that both FAST channels and SVOD platforms play integral roles in shaping content consumption. The gradual but significant rise of FAST channels reflects changes in audience behavior, demonstrating that viewers are increasingly gravitating towards platforms that provide free access to recent and varied programming. With this evolution ahead, industry stakeholders have a wealth of data at their fingertips to refine content strategies, improve viewer engagement, and develop effective media buying approaches.

By leveraging Gracenote's extensive global video data covering over 80 countries and more than 70 languages, media professionals can navigate the complexities of the streaming world with greater confidence and effectiveness. As this segment grows, consumers can expect an increased variety of entertainment options, aligning perfectly with modern viewing habits.