Question 1

What does FAST stand for?

Accepted Answer

FAST stands for Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV. It is a free, advertising-funded service delivered as a linear, channel-style stream that viewers tune into, rather than an on-demand library they browse title by title.

Question 2

How much does it cost to launch a FAST channel?

Accepted Answer

It varies a lot. Building everything in-house means months of engineering work and infrastructure costs that add up fast. On a white-label OTT and playout platform, you're mainly looking at the platform subscription, content licensing or production, CDN usage and whatever you spend on distribution. Content rights almost always end up being the dominant cost, not the technology.

Question 3

Do I need SSAI for a FAST channel?

Accepted Answer

For linear, yes. Server-side ad insertion keeps breaks seamless on living-room devices and shuts out ad blockers. Client-side works well enough for some on-demand AVOD situations but falls apart on a 24/7 linear stream pretty quickly.

Question 4

How much content do I need to run a 24/7 channel?

Accepted Answer

No hard minimum, but 100 to 300 hours gives you enough to build a varied weekly schedule without the same titles cycling every few hours. Launch leaner if you have to, lean on repeats early, and grow the library as the audience grows with it.

Question 5

How do FAST channels make money?

Accepted Answer

Ads. Breaks get filled through direct sponsorship deals and programmatic demand via SSPs. What you actually earn comes down to audience size, fill rate, CPMs and whether viewers sit through the breaks. Which is why distribution breadth and consistent programming matter as much as anything else.

Question 6

How do I get my channel onto FAST platforms?

Accepted Answer

Apply directly to each platform and deal with them one by one, or go through an aggregator who already has those relationships and puts your channel on multiple platforms for a revenue share. Either way, you're bringing a reliable HLS or DASH stream, SSAI markers, a clean EPG and accurate channel metadata.

Question 7

How long does it take to launch a FAST channel?

Accepted Answer

Four to eight weeks for the technical side once content is cleared, covering scheduling, playout, encoding, SSAI and ad setup. Distribution runs alongside that and is genuinely the hardest part to predict, since platform approvals move on their own timeline and nobody else's.

Exploring Video on Demand and OTT Platforms

Exploring Video on Demand
and OTT Platforms