Across global streaming services, TV viewers now have nearly 1.9 million unique TV shows, movies and sports programs1 to choose from. While that represents greater choice than we’ve ever had before, finding the right program across the many streaming options that are available has become overwhelming to many viewers. As a result, many are turning to FAST channels as an alternative.
In fact, a recent Gracenote survey of streaming viewers in six countries found that, on average, one-third say that increasing streaming congestion has become so overwhelming that they’re now spending more time with programming on FAST channels. The percentage is significantly higher among viewers in the U.K., France and those aged 25-34.
The growing engagement with FAST channels also reflects continued cord cutting, the appeal of free content and an array of new programming, including live sports. Notably, 47% of the content across the FAST channels that Gracenote tracks was produced in the last five years. Comparatively, only 32% of the content distributed by the five global SVOD providers2 tracked in Gracenote’s Data Hub was produced in the same period.
The number of available channels has also risen dramatically in recent years, and the amount of programming now eclipses 35.3k titles1 across TV, movies and sports.
As a result, FAST channels are gaining momentum as a frequent choice for video-hungry streamers. On average, 23% say they’re now splitting their time evenly between subscription services and FAST channels. The percentage is significantly higher among viewers in France and viewers 65 and older.
Notably, congestion isn’t just increasing across subscription streaming services. In the U.S., for example, TV viewers are broadening their engagement across different FAST services as they discover and engage with them, including those offered by leading smart TV OEMs like LG and Samsung.
Importantly, the different streaming options, including FAST platforms, aren’t simply repackaging the same content. FAST channels, for example, offer a greater percentage of TV shows than movies. SVOD services, on the other hand, dedicate more of their catalogs to movies3.
Additionally, the real-time nature of FAST programming has fueled a notable rise in sports and news channels, which are now the second- and third-most prevalent among those tracked by Gracenote, collectively accounting for 21% of all channels.
The increase in news and sports channels aligns with some of the key reasons why viewers are gravitating to FAST channels. This is particularly the case with sports, as approximately half of the streaming viewers in Brazil, Mexico, the U.K. and the U.S. watch sports programming on FAST channels.
Growing engagement notwithstanding, FAST channels are not immune to TV viewer sentiment about the growing congestion across the broader streaming landscape. Notably, 45% say the state of streaming is overwhelming, and 46% say the abundance of content has made it challenging to find something to watch.
Individual FAST platforms, which typically have hundreds of channels, should keep the user experience top of mind as fragmentation increases to help mitigate viewer frustrations and ensure they can find what they’re looking for.
For additional insights, download our 2025 State of Play report.
Notes
- Gracenote Global Video Data; October 2025
- Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+
- At the unique title level (i.e., excluding individual TV episodes)
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