Ad impressions rise by 28% in CTV landscape, Amagi’s 10th FAST report finds

Amagi has released its 10th Quarterly Global FAST Report, showcasing notable growth in the global FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) market. The report, which compares data from the third and fourth quarters of both 2022 and 2023, indicates a consistent increase in ad impressions, with a 15% rise in Q3 and a significant 28% increase in Q4.

Consumers increasingly opt for ad-supported streaming to offset subscription expenses

Key findings from the report reveal that channel deliveries and Hours Of Viewing (HOV) also experienced substantial growth. Channel deliveries escalated by 45% in Q3 and 25% in Q4, while HOV increased by 30% in Q3 and 26% in Q4. These figures underscore the sustained popularity of FAST as a streaming model, offering targeted advertising opportunities and distinctiveness for content providers in the broader video advertising ecosystem.

Gavin Bridge of FASTMaster Consulting, in his introduction to the report, emphasizes the growing global audience for FAST, highlighting new opportunities for advertisers. Bridge anticipates 2024 to be a pivotal year for the medium, with ad spending expected to align more closely with viewing trends and a deeper understanding of the FAST audience.

The 10th edition of Amagi’s report combines insights from analyst reports, real-time data from the Amagi Analytics platform, and a consumer survey of over 500 US households. The survey explores viewer data across more than 50 FAST platforms and approximately 3,800 channel deliveries utilizing Amagi’s proprietary server-side ad insertion (SSAI) platform, Amagi Thunderstorm.

Several key highlights from the report include:

• A close competition between subscription-based video on demand (SVOD) and ad-supported models: 46% of surveyed respondents primarily use SVOD services, while 44% opt for FAST or ad-supported video on demand (AVOD). Interestingly, two-thirds of viewers expressed willingness to watch ads if it means access to free, high-quality content.
• The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region outpaces other regions in overall growth, showing triple-digit increases in both HOV and ad impressions across the examined quarters.
• News remains the most-watched genre globally, contributing significantly to total HOV. In contrast, preferences in EMEA and LATAM regions lean more towards movies, with news not featuring in the top three genres in LATAM.
• Srinivasan KA, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Amagi, highlights the rapid movement of ad dollars towards CTV, describing it as a “seismic shift” in the digital advertising landscape. He underscores the necessity for stakeholders to align their strategies with this dynamic environment.