NEW YORK—Although FAST channels are becoming ever more omnipresent in the streaming universe, the vast majority of them will need to start providing more live content if they are to succeed in the long-term.
This is according to Amagi, a cloud-based SaaS technology solutions provider for broadcast and streaming TV, which just released its 15th Global FAST Report, offering insights into the Free Ad-supported Streaming TV (FAST) ecosystem and how it is influencing media consumption.
Amagi’s report highlights the growing importance of live programming—especially sports content—in fueling audience engagement across FAST platforms. According to Amagi, whose technology is used to enable FAST channels, its Q1 2025 data indicates that 84% of live events (managed by Amagi in Q1 2025) were classified as sports, emphasizing why content providers are investing in live programming that caters to real-time, event-driven experiences for viewers.
“Live content is becoming a defining feature of FAST, not just in sports but across genres that benefit from real-time engagement,” said Srinivasan KA, Director & President - Global Business of Amagi. “What we’re seeing now is a shift in how audiences consume free streaming — they’re not just browsing channels but tuning in for moments that matter. As the FAST ecosystem matures, platforms and content providers can build more dynamic, event-driven programming strategies that are aimed at driving loyalty and monetization. Our goal at Amagi is to enable this shift — with the infrastructure, data, and flexibility to support live and linear content at scale.”
The report also noted that more than two-thirds of U.S. viewers surveyed (67%) watch live events on free and paid streaming platforms, with 70% watching live content daily or weekly. Nearly 50% surveyed said that being able to watch a live event for free would prompt them to sign up for a tril of a paid streaming service.
Amagi’s report can be downloaded here.
