FAST channel volume grows 21% amid rising fragmentation

The number of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels rose 21 percent in 2025, according to a new report from Gracenote, a Nielsen company.

The data, part of Gracenote’s “2025 State of Play” report, underscores the expanding role of FAST services in the connected TV environment and highlights ongoing challenges related to content fragmentation.

Gracenote also reported that programming across FAST platforms increased by 11 percent this year. The growth comes as audiences continue to seek alternatives to subscription video services. Unlike subscription-based platforms, which dedicate more of their catalog to movies, FAST channels focus more heavily on TV shows.

According to Gracenote’s Global Video Data, sports and news have become increasingly prevalent in FAST offerings, making up the second- and fourth-largest content categories, respectively. Together, these two genres now account for 21 percent of all FAST channels tracked by the company. Entertainment remains the most common genre in the FAST space.

The report notes that despite the content gains, viewers face significant obstacles in navigating the growing number of channels and services.

Nearly half of all streaming viewers surveyed say they find it harder to locate content due to the volume of services available. The issue is especially pronounced for live and event-driven content, such as sports.

Gracenote tracks nearly 2,000 FAST channels globally and reported a 17 percent year-over-year increase in catalog size across five major global streaming services. These include Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+.

The findings are based on the Gracenote 2025 streaming consumer survey, conducted across six countries and 3,000 respondents, and its proprietary global video metadata.

Advertisement