This trend analysis piece argues that live sports and advertising dollars are increasingly moving to Free Ad-supported Streaming Television (FAST) as viewership on these platforms grows. It uses The E.W. Scripps Company's recent launch of the Scripps Sports Network (SSN) with PWHL and NWSL games as a primary example. The article also weighs the opportunities of growing CTV ad spend against the current commercial challenges, such as revenue-share models and low rights fees, exemplified by MLB's reported ~$10 million deal with Roku for its 'Sunday Leadoff' package.
The migration of live sports to FAST creates a crucial distribution tier for challenger leagues like the NWSL and PWHL that need reach without high carriage fees. This positions FAST channels as an alternative for rights that might have once gone to regional sports networks. While major leagues are experimenting, Roku’s ~$10 million MLB deal shows the model doesn't yet support high-value national packages. The metric to watch is whether CPMs on live FAST programming rise enough to support minimum guarantees, not just revenue-share agreements, which would signal a maturing market for sports rights.
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