FAST Market Poised for Significant Growth, Executives to Convene at Content London

The increasing market valuation and channel proliferation in the FAST sector underscore its rising importance as a monetization and distribution channel in streaming. This growth creates new avenues for content owners and platforms to reach audiences and generate revenue through advertising. Industry stakeholders should monitor the strategies discussed by these key executives for insights into optimizing content acquisition, curation, and platform partnerships to capitalize on FAST's continued global expansion.

The global FAST market continues its rapid expansion, with projections indicating strong growth. According to Apprupt (May 2026), the global FAST market is anticipated to grow from approximately $10.6 billion in 2025 to $12.23 billion in 2026. Long-term forecasts place its value between $18.8 billion and $46.49 billion by 2030–2033, depending on the research firm. This growth is fueled by increasing consumer adoption of streaming, demand for cost-effective entertainment, and the rising availability of ad-supported content. Emarketer (May 2026) highlights that FAST is drawing more U.S. viewers seeking lower-cost streaming options, with 131.4 million Americans expected to use FAST services this year. Viewer engagement is also deepening, not just broadening, with some reports indicating a 43% year-over-year surge in U.S. FAST viewership, reaching 1.8 billion hours through August 2025 (Apprupt, May 2026). While the U.S. currently dominates the market, contributing approximately 90% of global FAST revenue, international markets are accelerating. Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing FAST region, with premium AVOD revenues expected to grow from $8 billion in 2025 to over $12 billion by 2030, led by India, Japan, and Australia (Apprupt, May 2026). The Korean government, through its Broadcasting and Media Commission, is also actively developing a K-FAST ecosystem to enhance global competitiveness, noting that the global market size is estimated to reach $14.33 billion this year and is projected to grow to $31.29 billion by 2031 (AJU PRESS, June 2026).