FAST adoption in Europe rises as viewers seek alternatives to subscription services

Rakuten TV unveiled new research that found free ad-supported streaming television, or FAST, had become a mainstream viewing option across Europe, with nearly three-quarters of surveyed viewers using FAST services daily or several times a week.

The findings were presented June 3 during a SXSW London panel featuring Rakuten TV and AMC Global Media – UK.

The company said its “The FAST Advantage” report found that 80.1% of respondents viewed FAST as either a primary way to watch television or a viable alternative to paid streaming services, while 60.7% expected to increase their usage in the future. Only 4.3% said they expected to reduce their FAST viewing.

Commissioned by Rakuten TV Enterprise, the report examined viewer behavior across the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. The study combined survey responses from 750 consumers with additional qualitative research.

The report found that 93.7% of surveyed viewers primarily watched FAST content on television screens, suggesting connected TV remains the dominant viewing environment for the format. It also reported that 82.3% of respondents accepted advertising within FAST services when it was relevant or helped support free access to content.

Research results indicated FAST services are increasingly being used as content discovery platforms. According to the report, 45.9% of surveyed viewers used FAST services to help determine which subscription platforms were worth paying for, while 29.9% used them to reduce overall subscription spending.

The study also highlighted demand for themed and genre-based channels and emphasized the importance of local programming. More than 92% of respondents said local content was important to their viewing experience.

“FAST is entering a new phase of maturity across Europe, evolving from an emerging trend into a mainstream viewing behaviour across multiple markets,” Cédric Dufour, CEO and president of Rakuten TV, said. “For content owners, this creates significant opportunities to extend the value of content libraries, increase audience reach and build deeper engagement within ad-supported environments.”

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“As viewing habits continue to evolve, FAST is becoming an increasingly important part of the mix for us sitting alongside broadcast, licensing and subscription to expand how audiences discover and access content in the UK,” Lucy Halliday, vice president of business development international at AMC Global Media – UK, said. “FAST is proving highly additive, driving discovery and engagement while complementing our wider distribution strategy.”

Rakuten TV said the report will be released June 5 ahead of its LIVE London conference, scheduled for June 9 at The Shard in London.