Eurovision Sport enters FAST market via UK launch on Plex and Amazon

The EBU’s pivot to FAST distribution highlights a strategic shift toward hybrid models where public service broadcasters use ad-supported channels to reach viewers in discovery-heavy environments. By moving beyond a walled-garden app, the EBU effectively counters sports rights fragmentation while maintaining free access to non-tier-one sports. This move signals a wider trend of sports federations utilizing automated AI translation and FAST reach to monetize secondary rights without cannibalizing primary broadcast partners. Watch for subsequent launches in major European markets like Germany and Scandinavia to gauge the efficacy of this ad-supported supplement to public media.

The expansion comes as the UK sports streaming market is projected to grow from roughly $1.9 billion in 2024 to over $5.2 billion by 2033, per Deep Market Insights (June 2026). While subscription-based services still dominate the region, the EBU’s integration into FAST follows a broader industry trend where 66.7% of ad-supported television viewing time among those aged 18 to 49 is now attributed to streaming, according to June 2026 Nielsen data. This shift has prompted varied strategies, such as Sky Sports recently announcing plans to offer many fixtures of the Women's T20 World Cup for free on its app and Sky Mix channel to maximize reach (June 2026).

Technologically, Eurovision Sport’s reliance on artificial intelligence for accessibility is part of a multi-year effort. Per Sportcal (March 2026), the EBU deepened its partnership with AI translation specialist Camb.ai to provide real-time speech-to-text transcription during the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. This partnership, which began in 2024, originally produced Europe's first AI-powered translated sports commentary for European Athletics events. This automated approach allows the EBU to provide localized commentary in multiple languages across its digital footprint without the high overhead of traditional broadcast booths.

Strategically, the EBU has reinforced its content backbone ahead of this digital push by securing long-term rights renewals. In June 2026, the organization confirmed it would remain the primary rights holder for European Athletics until 2031. Additionally, the EBU recently finalized deals for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, ensuring free-to-air coverage across more than 25 territories including the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland. These rights acquisitions provide a steady pipeline for the Eurovision Sport FAST feeds as they expand beyond the initial UK footprint.