As I look at the TV and broadcasting landscape in 2025, I see a profound shift driven by FAST channels (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) and connected TV (CTV). Traditional broadcasters, who once relied almost entirely on linear TV schedules and pay-TV carriage, are now rethinking their entire distribution strategy. FAST and CTV are no longer side projects or experimental platforms; they sit at the center of strategic conversations about reach, monetization, programming, and brand positioning.
Understanding FAST Channels and Connected TV in 2025
Before examining the strategic impact on traditional TV channels, I find it essential to clarify what FAST and connected TV represent in today’s market.
FAST channels are linear streaming channels distributed for free and financed by advertising. They mimic the experience of traditional linear TV with scheduled programming, but they are delivered over the internet via platforms such as Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, Amazon Freevee, Rakuten TV, or local FAST aggregators. For broadcasters, FAST channels are an OTT distribution model that requires no subscription (unlike SVOD) and no direct payment from the viewer.
Connected TV, on the other hand, refers to any television set that can connect to the internet and run apps—whether that’s a smart TV, a set-top box like Apple TV or Fire TV, a game console, or a streaming dongle. In 2025, CTV is the primary way a growing share of the audience accesses video: live channels, VOD, YouTube, social video, SVOD and AVOD apps, and of course FAST.
These two trends intersect: FAST channels live inside CTV environments and on mobile and web, but CTV is where their consumption is exploding. For traditional broadcasters who spent decades negotiating EPG positions on cable and satellite, this new ecosystem fundamentally changes how they think about distribution, marketing, and audience measurement.
Why Traditional Broadcasters Are Embracing FAST
From my perspective, there are several key reasons why traditional channels are increasingly launching FAST offerings, either as simulcasts of their linear feeds or as curated thematic channels.
- Audience reach beyond pay-TV: Cord-cutting and cord-shaving are eroding the reach of linear pay-TV packages. FAST platforms allow broadcasters to reconnect with audiences who have abandoned cable or satellite, especially younger viewers who live inside CTV and mobile ecosystems.
- Incremental advertising revenue: FAST is based on an AVOD model. Broadcasters can sell inventory directly, rely on programmatic ad stacks, or combine both. The CPMs on CTV inventory can be attractive, especially when enriched with data and targeting.
- Recycling library content: Many broadcasters sit on large archives—old series, documentaries, kids’ shows, niche sports—that no longer have a place on the main linear schedule. FAST enables them to package this library into thematic channels and monetise it with minimal additional cost.
- Brand extensions and niche verticals: News channels can launch “24/7 breaking news” or “politics only” FAST feeds. Entertainment brands can offer “crime series” or “classic comedy” channels. This fragmentation creates more touchpoints with viewers and more inventory for advertisers.
- International expansion: For broadcasters wanting to test new markets, launching a FAST channel on international platforms is often quicker and cheaper than pursuing traditional distribution deals or launching a full D2C OTT service.
In practice, I see many broadcasters treating FAST as a hybrid between syndication, marketing, and monetization: a way to keep content alive, promote flagship brands, and capture revenue that used to be out of reach.
How Connected TV Changes Distribution and Discovery
In the classic broadcasting model, distribution strategy revolved around obtaining a good position on cable and satellite EPGs, negotiating carriage fees, and securing must-carry status. In a CTV world, distribution strategy is more fragmented and more product-driven.
On connected TV, broadcasters must consider several parallel fronts:
- Native apps: Launching and maintaining dedicated apps on platforms like Roku, Fire TV, Android TV, tvOS, Samsung, and LG. These apps aggregate live streams, VOD, replay, and sometimes SVOD tiers.
- FAST platform presence: Distributing linear feeds via third-party FAST services that curate hundreds of channels in EPG-like grids. Placement, category, and featuring matter heavily for discovery.
- Aggregation within operator apps: Telecom operators and virtual MVPDs (vMVPDs) offer super-aggregator apps where broadcaster channels sit alongside streaming services. Securing visibility in those environments has become as important as classic carriage.
- Search and recommendations: Voice search, universal search, and recommendation algorithms on CTV home screens influence what viewers watch. Metadata quality, branding, and SEO-like optimisation for platform search now form part of broadcasting strategy.
In 2025, I notice that “being on connected TV” is not enough. Broadcasters must design experiences optimised for large screens, fast navigation, and binge consumption. They compete not only with other linear channels, but also with YouTube, Netflix, gaming, and social platforms, all accessible with a few clicks on the same remote.
From Linear-First to Multi-Platform Content Strategy
The rise of FAST and CTV is pushing broadcasters to abandon a linear-first mindset in favor of a multi-platform content strategy. Instead of thinking in terms of “main channel plus replay”, they now structure content around a layered ecosystem.
- Flagship linear channels: Still central for live events, major prime-time shows, and prestige programming. These channels retain strong brand value and often anchor distribution negotiations.
- Replay and on-demand libraries: Accessible through broadcaster apps and operator platforms, offering catch-up windows and full-box sets. These libraries keep audiences within the ecosystem between live appointments.
- FAST spinoff channels: Thematic or genre-based channels built from library content, older seasons, and long-tail programming. They serve both discovery and monetization, often driving viewers toward flagships and apps.
- Short-form and social extensions: Clips for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and social video help fuel awareness and funnel users toward CTV apps and FAST channels.
For programming teams, this means rethinking rights windows, metadata, and packaging. A crime series might premiere on the main linear channel, move quickly to catch-up and VOD, then live for years on a crime-focused FAST stream. The entire lifecycle is planned from day one.
New Advertising Models and Measurement Challenges
Advertising is where I see some of the biggest strategic tensions. FAST and CTV open new revenue streams, but they also complicate sales and measurement.
On one side, CTV offers targeted, addressable advertising, frequency capping, and advanced analytics. Advertisers appreciate the combination of TV-like viewing (big screen, lean-back, high completion rates) and digital-style metrics. On the other side, fragmentation across platforms, devices, and apps makes it difficult to build consistent reach and measure de-duplicated audiences.
Broadcasters are adapting in several ways:
- Unified sales houses: Many broadcasters now sell linear, CTV, FAST, and digital inventory through the same sales teams, using cross-platform packages and unified reporting when possible.
- Data partnerships: To enrich targeting, broadcasters partner with telcos, data providers, and identity solutions that help reconcile audiences across devices.
- Programmatic and direct-sold hybrids: Most FAST and CTV ad breaks mix direct deals, programmatic guaranteed, and open market impressions, optimised via ad servers and yield tools.
- Experimentation with shoppable and interactive formats: CTV allows clickable overlays, QR codes, and interactive spots. Broadcasters are testing these formats on FAST channels, where viewers are used to innovative ad experiences.
The strategic challenge is to maintain premium positioning and price integrity while participating in a more fluid, programmatic-driven ecosystem. In 2025, I see leading broadcasters pushing hard for cross-media measurement standards that place CTV and FAST within broader TV currency frameworks.
Operational and Technical Shifts Behind the Scenes
FAST and CTV are not just commercial opportunities; they also require a deeper technical and operational transformation inside traditional broadcasters.
- Cloud-based playout and channel assembly: Building and managing dozens of FAST channels demands flexible, cloud-native systems that can schedule, stitch, and update feeds without the heavy infrastructure traditionally used for main linear channels.
- Dynamic ad insertion (DAI): Server-side ad insertion (SSAI) systems replace or complement classic spot insertion. They must handle targeting, ad tracking, and measurement while preserving a smooth user experience.
- Metadata and content management: Good EPG data, artwork, descriptions, and tagging are critical for discovery in FAST guides and CTV search interfaces.
- Analytics and data pipelines: Broadcasters now track usage data from apps, FAST platforms, and web players in near real-time. This informs programming decisions and ad optimisation.
These changes often force broadcasters to reorganise internally, bringing together engineering, product, marketing, and programming teams that used to operate in separate silos.
Impact on Pay-TV and Direct-to-Consumer Strategies
One of the big questions I hear in 2025 is how FAST and CTV affect relationships with pay-TV operators and existing direct-to-consumer (D2C) services.
On the pay-TV side, some operators perceive FAST as competition, especially when free channels replicate or weaken the perceived exclusivity of pay-TV packages. Others embrace FAST by integrating these channels into their own CTV interfaces and set-top boxes, turning themselves into super-aggregators. Broadcasters must balance the reach and ad revenue offered by free CTV distribution with the value of traditional carriage fees.
Regarding D2C, many broadcasters run their own subscription OTT services (SVOD or hybrid models). For them, FAST can serve as a top-of-funnel acquisition channel: free linear feeds and selected content attract viewers, who are then encouraged to subscribe for full box sets, ad-free viewing, or exclusive premieres. The key is to design a clear value proposition for each tier—free FAST, AVOD, and SVOD—so they complement rather than cannibalise one another.
How I See Broadcasters Positioning Themselves for the Next Phase
Looking at the strategies emerging in 2025, I notice some common characteristics among broadcasters that are making the most of FAST and connected TV.
- They treat CTV and FAST not as side projects but as core pillars of their distribution strategy.
- They invest in strong first-party apps while also negotiating smart deals with third-party FAST and CTV platforms.
- They build a clear content funnel, from flagship premieres on linear or SVOD to long-tail exploitation on FAST and AVOD.
- They develop integrated ad sales teams and technology stacks, able to handle linear, digital, and CTV together.
- They modernise their technical infrastructure, moving toward cloud-based playout and data-driven decision-making.
For anyone working in TV, broadcasting, or streaming, 2025 is a pivotal year. FAST channels and connected TV are forcing traditional players to rethink everything from scheduling and branding to advertising and technology. In my analysis, those who see FAST and CTV as opportunities to expand their ecosystem—not just as threats to linear TV—are the ones best positioned to thrive in this new era of viewing.