Korean Broadcasters, Samsung, LG Target North American FAST Market Growth
Samsung, LG, and major Korean broadcasters convened a meeting led by the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission to strategize global expansion of Korean-style FAST services, specifically targeting the North American market. The initiative aims to enhance content competitiveness and leverage smart TV distribution for growth in the projected $47 trillion FAST market by 2030. Discussions included leveraging AI for content localization and the need for investment in K-FAST exclusive content.
Key Takeaways
- The global FAST market was valued at 18 trillion won ($13.1B USD) last year and is expected to grow to 47 trillion won ($34.2B USD) by 2030, a 20.9% CAGR.
- Attendees included 25 representatives from Samsung, LG, New ID, Smart Media Lab, CJ ENM, KBS, MBC, SBS, A Story, Hudson AI, and ESTsoft.
- Discussions highlighted that current low K-content viewership in the FAST market is due to rebroadcasting older content without updates.
- The strategy involves analyzing North American viewer preferences, planning customized content linked to advertising, and producing exclusive K-FAST content.
- AI technology from Hudson AI was presented as a solution for broadcast content localization.
Why It Matters
The coordinated effort by major Korean entities to enter the North American FAST market signals a strategic pivot for K-content monetization beyond subscription VOD. This move aims to leverage the global reach of smart TVs and address declining advertising revenue in Korea by tapping into a rapidly expanding international FAST ecosystem. Watch for specific content investment announcements and partnerships targeting North American audiences, particularly those involving AI localization, to gauge initial traction and strategy effectiveness.
Additional Context
The push for Korean FAST content in North America comes as the US market dominates global FAST revenue, accounting for 80% of the $6 billion market (Omdia, November 2025). Despite this, 60% of Korean-language channels launched on US FAST platforms between 2020-2024 have already been removed, a closure rate higher than English or Spanish channels (K-EnterTech Hub, May 2026). This underperformance is attributed to structural issues, particularly the ad tech infrastructure's bias against non-English audio content, which relegates it to lower-CPM remnant inventory.
Experts like Gavin Bridge (FASTMaster Intelligence, May 2026) emphasize that simply porting existing Korean content, often subtitled, to FAST platforms is ineffective. The optimal strategy, termed "K-FAST 2.0," involves curating the top 1-5% of K-content IP in dubbed, appointment-viewing formats. AI dubbing is becoming more accessible, with commercial solutions costing around $70 per month for 4-6 hours of output, enabling more cost-effective localization. The goal is to migrate highly engaged K-content fans from lean-forward platforms like YouTube to the premium, lean-back TV viewing experience of FAST, where CPMs are significantly higher.
While Netflix and other global OTTs distribute K-content, they cannot accommodate its full breadth, and K-content is often not prominently featured on their US home screens (K20 CEO Kim Jeong-eun, Digital Today, recent). FAST, by contrast, allows for dedicated K-content channels. The global FAST advertising market is projected to reach $11.83 billion by 2027, up from $9.06 billion in 2024, highlighting the revenue potential that this Korean initiative aims to tap (Digital Today, recent).
Read full article at asiae.co.kr
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