LG Channels hits 5,000-channel milestone as webOS viewer engagement surges 45%

LG's expansion signals the rising dominance of OEM-led FAST platforms that leverage a massive hardware footprint to challenge independent aggregators. By scaling to 5,000 channels and prioritizing local IP—such as Polish and Indian regional content—LG is transforming its hardware-centric business into a high-margin services hub. This growth directly threatens the reach of pure-play streaming apps as smart TV operating systems become the primary gateway for content discovery. Watch for whether LG achieves its 2026 'Local First' goal in India, which could serve as a blueprint for targeting other fragmented emerging markets.

The expansion of LG Channels is a pillar of LG’s 'Future Vision 2030' strategy, which aims for platform-based service revenues to represent 20% of total operating earnings by 2030, per LG investor reports from January 2025. This transition from hardware to a 'Smart Life Solution' model is already yielding results; the company’s webOS-based advertising and content business exceeded KRW 1 trillion in revenue in 2024. To sustain this momentum, LG has aggressively pushed webOS beyond its own hardware, with over 600 third-party brands now using the operating system under license as of early 2025.

Competitive pressure remains high as other hardware giants and dedicated FAST services scale their offerings. Samsung TV Plus revealed in October 2024 that it reached 88 million monthly active users, while Nielsen data from 2024 placed independent services like Tubi and The Roku Channel at the top of U.S. FAST viewership. LG is countering this by expanding webOS into non-living room environments. According to company announcements in August 2025, LG is integrating its automotive content platform—including LG Channels—into vehicle infotainment systems to capture viewing time during transit.

Financially, the webOS ecosystem is becoming a critical margin stabilizer. In preliminary results for the first quarter of 2026, LG reported that revenue hit a record high of KRW 23.73 trillion, with the media and entertainment division returning to profitability through operational efficiencies in the platform business. As global digital video ad spend is projected by the IAB to reach nearly $30 billion in 2026, LG’s focus on its 270 million-unit installed base and proprietary ACR data from 33 million opted-in devices positions it as a major alternative to the walled gardens of Big Tech.