NEW YORK—A new study from Amagi highlights both the ongoing shift of viewing to free ad-supported streaming (FAST) channels and the rapidly growing amount of sports content viewed on such platforms.
The “13th Amagi Global FAST Report” found significant growth in sports content available on FAST platforms over the last year. The 65% increase in live sports content was accompanied by a 150% increase in global sports-channel viewership, Amagi reported. Overall, FAST viewing grew by 40% year over year.
“The integration of sports content into FAST platforms represents a significant shift in the streaming landscape, opening up new opportunities for both established leagues and niche sports to find and grow their audiences,” Srinivasan KA, Amagi co-founder and chief revenue officer, said. “Our latest report underscores the rising prominence of sports content in the FAST ecosystem. With sports channel viewership outpacing overall growth, it’s clear that FAST is becoming an increasingly important platform for sports leagues and broadcasters as a source of distribution revenue.”
The newly released report is based on data from 2,800-plus channels using Amagi THUNDERSTORM, the company's server-side ad insertion platform, as well as business preferences and future predictions based on a comprehensive survey of 128 streaming, broadcast and sports executives. It also highlights insights from large and niche sports and media companies, showing how these organizations use FAST to expand their reach and engage with viewers in new ways.
Key takeaways include:
- Sports content soars: Live sports content on FAST is rapidly growing, with a 65% increase in live sports hours.
- U.S. and Canada outpace other regions: The North American countries saw triple-digit growth in sports-channel viewership and impressions, contributing to 60% of global viewership.
- EMEA sees significant growth: Sports channel viewership grew by about 4.5 times in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with 60% of this growth driven by the addition of new channels.
- Executives prioritize live sports in FAST content strategies: One-third of surveyed executives said live sports in their content plan either now or in the future, with another third saying they want to add live sports. Sixty-seven percent of respondents reported an increase in advertising interest in live sports.
- New channels drive FAST: New channels launched within the last year drove nearly one-third of viewership growth for FAST, which continues to attract new content providers and channels.
The latest edition of the Amagi Global FAST Report is available here.
Amagi will host the webinar "The State of Sports Viewership" on Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. (ET) to discuss what it takes for content owners and broadcasters to succeed and what the future holds. Registration for the event is available here.
Amagi provides a suite of channel creation, distribution, and monetization solutions. The company's clients include such major companies as A+E Networks U.K., ABS-CBN, Astro, Cox Media Group, DAZN, Globo, Lionsgate Studios, NBCUniversal, Tastemade and Vizio.
