SBT launches +SBT streaming service in Brazil, exceeding 1M downloads

SBT’s pivot to a unified digital platform highlights the shift from traditional linear broadcasting to sophisticated AVOD models in high-growth Latin American markets. By leveraging Accedo's white-label infrastructure, SBT rapidly scaled to million-user levels without building a proprietary stack from scratch. This move places pressure on regional competitors like Globo to refine their free-tier offerings as domestic broadcasters fight to capture digital ad spend. The immediate high download volume suggests a strong appetite for localized FAST content over global subscription services. Watch for upcoming reporting on monthly active user (MAU) retention rates to see if initial download momentum translates into sustained viewing hours.

The launch of +SBT arrives as Brazil's streaming market undergoes significant structural shifts toward hybrid monetization. Per Ampere Analysis in early 2024, Brazil remains the largest streaming market in Latin America, with a growing emphasis on ad-supported tiers to combat subscription fatigue in a price-sensitive economy. This trend is mirrored by Globo’s continued investment in Globoplay, which has focused on integrating live sports and telenovelas with a tiered advertising structure. Analysts from S&P Global Market Intelligence noted in mid-2024 that Brazilian broadcasters are increasingly prioritizing FAST channels to monetize deep content libraries that were previously underutilized in the digital space.

Accedo’s role in this deployment reflects a broader trend of technology consolidation within the OTT sector. In late 2023, Accedo expanded its footprint in the LatAm region to support local broadcasters migrating from legacy systems to cloud-native platforms. Competitors in the region, such as TelevisaUnivision’s ViX, have set a precedent by reaching over 40 million monthly active users through a similar free-to-access strategy. The success of +SBT represents a critical test for SBT as it attempts to transition 187 million linear viewers into a data-rich digital environment where it can better compete for programmatic advertising revenue against tech giants like YouTube and Netflix.