Rethinking Premium TV: Why Buyers Should Take a Fresh Look at FAST

For advertisers this shift presents a major opportunity FAST gives brands access to highquality inventory at scale reaching engaged audiences across screens while complementing traditional TV and streaming buys And as FreeWheelamp8217s latest report shows the most important takeaway isnamp8217t that FAST is amp8220freeamp8221 amp8211 itamp8217s that it performs like premium TV even if the industry hasnamp8217t fully recognized it as such And that perception gap is becoming one of the biggest inefficiencies in TV advertising today The truth is simple amp8211 FAST has scaled faster than its reputation and the time has come to recalibrate how we view its role in the TV ecosystemFAST Is Premium amp8212 Even If the Industry Hasnamp8217t Treated It That WayAcross the industry we talk a lot about amp8220where viewers are goingamp8221 but weamp8217re far less honest about where the advertising mindset has stayed Viewers experience FAST the same way they experience TV on the big screen together and with heightened attentionAccording to FreeWheelamp8217s research nearly 80 of FAST viewing takes place on the television1 where audiences are most immersed and more than half 54 of viewing sessions include two or more people amp8211 elevating the household impact of every impression2 Crucially ads on FAST are remembered ad recall is 71 higher vs shortform video underscoring that the environment is built for brand impact not background noise1Despite these signals FAST has a brand problem Not with viewers amp8211 theyamp8217ve clearly already voted with their time and their screens amp8211 but with advertisers who still treat it as amp8220less thanamp8221 other environments without a clear reason beyond legacy perceptionIn other words FAST isnamp8217t amp8220cheap reachamp8221 Itamp8217s a premium leanback experience that consistently delivers attention recall and results amp8211 three hallmarks of televisionFAST Live Premium Attention at ScaleLive content is a growth engine inside FAST and a natural fit for brands that want attention Sports and news have surged on FAST with sports channels up 105 since last year and sports leagues curating channels that keep fans engaged before during and after live events3 These moments behave like TVamp8217s most valuable inventory realtime highattention and contextrichAnd importantly these moments arenamp8217t niche They are happening at scale amp8211 often with inventory that goes unsold simply because FAST hasnamp8217tamp8217 been elevated into the amp8220premiumamp8221 category in the minds of some buyersFor advertisers that opens new premium placements around the programming viewers care about most without having to chase them across fragmented appsBridging the Gap Between FASTamp8217s Perception and PerformanceFAST has become a powerful addition to the TV and streaming mix amp8211 not because itamp8217s free but because it delivers the premium viewing experience advertisers depend on As FAST continues shaping the next chapter of TV advertising itamp8217s opening the door to smarter more strategic media buyingIt also brings something else to the table accessibility A significant portion of FAST inventory transacts programmatically which should be an advantage amp8211 ease scale flexibility amp8211 but in some corners of the TV ecosystem amp8220programmatically availableamp8221 has ben incorrectly equated with amp8220lower qualityamp8221 This false equivalence has held FAST back from being valued for what it truly isAn equally important advantage FAST gives advertisers access to audiences theyamp8217re increasingly missing on traditional TV amp8211 including cordamp8209cutters and lightamp8209TV viewing households By delivering incremental reach and hardamp8209toamp8209reach viewers FAST strengthens the scale and impact of a multiscreen TV strategyLike any maturing environment there are also transparency gaps amp8211 often because content creators are limiting signal exposure to protect their direct business lines Buyers feel that friction Naming it isnamp8217t a critique itamp8217s a call for action and improvementItamp8217s time to retire the idea that FAST is anything other premium television The data is there the audiences are there the impact is there The final step is for the industry to refresh its mindset around FAST bringing planning approaches in line with the way viewers are already engagingFAST is not the future of TV amp8211 itamp8217s the present And advertisers who plan it like premium video right alongside all their other video investment dollars will be the ones that win the hearts and minds of these hardtoreach viewersWant to dig deeper Download the full report amp8220Redefining Premium TV Unlocking Smarter Buys with FASTamp8221 Cord cutting HHs are defined as those with no TV service Comcast HHs with a pay TV service that spent on average less than about one hour per day viewing were defined as amp8220light TVamp8221 viewing HHsSourcesFreeWheel consumer survey conducted by Dynata July 2025Tvision Networks The Roku Channel Amazon Freevee Pluto Tubi and Xumo Total HHs January June 2025Comcast aggregated viewership data combined with ad exposure data 10000 campaigns including both linear TV ampamp any combination of FAST services including Xumo Pluto ampamp Tubi Local Market Advertisers January December 2024Posted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

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Rethinking Premium TV: Why Buyers Should Take a Fresh Look at FAST

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