It all says to me that we are seeing traditional TV channels move from being destinations on a dial to being app icons on a platform. The interesting thing about the growth of FAST is that it is an opportunity because consumers don’t have to pay a subscription to be up and running on streaming content, as they do now for the most part. The old TV model of ad-supported channels on a dial or clicker didn’t do too badly and had plenty of audiences. With more entertainment choices, and the doom scroll/attention sapping of social media and short video, and more providers than just Netflix, it’s FAST’s time to shine.
What is old is new again. Maybe that is a selling pitch for smart TVs: you don’t need a subscription, you don’t need an STB, you don’t need a Roku because we have it all, and there’s a lot of free content for you to enjoy.
