FAST Is No Longer an Experiment — It’s Becoming a Core Layer of the TV Ecosystem

FAST started as an experiment. Today, it is becoming a core layer of the television ecosystem. 

For decades, television distribution was controlled by broadcasters and Pay TV platforms, with advertising concentrated around prime time and stable GRP-based planning. That structure is now evolving rapidly as audiences fragment and consumption shifts toward connected TV. 

The data confirms the shift. 

According to IAB Spain and PwC, traditional TV advertising declined –8.7%, while Connected TV grew +48.4%, reaching €174.9M in Spain. At the same time, CTV still represents only 2.6% of total digital ad spend, showing how early the market still is. 

The InfoAdex Advertising Investment report reinforces this trend: CTV advertising grew close to +50% year-on-year, rising from around €120M to €180M, while national free-to-air TV declined –9.4%. 

But the transformation is not only happening in advertising — it is also visible in viewer behaviour. 

The latest GECA FAST Barometer (February 2026) shows how quickly free streaming is consolidating in Spain. YouTube leads penetration with more than 71%, while Samsung TV Plus is currently the fastest-growing FAST platform. The report also highlights a generational shift: one in four viewers aged 18–34 has cancelled at least one paid subscription as their consumption of free platforms increases. 

The integration of free linear channels within Prime Video is another signal of this shift, with 36.5% of its users already engaging with them in the first months after launch. Even concerns about ad saturation tell a nuanced story: 51% of viewers remain connected during ad breaks, reinforcing the enduring power of the lean-back TV experience. 

All these signals point in the same direction: FAST is no longer just an additional distribution window. It is becoming a structural part of how television is distributed and monetized. 

From our perspective at The Channel Store, FAST works best when treated as an ecosystem strategy rather than a single-platform play. Content owners increasingly need to distribute their channels across OEM platforms, streaming services and telco TV environments, while activating advertising demand through both programmatic and direct sales. 

Today, we manage 419 FAST and AVOD channels distributed across 26 platforms, working with broadcasters, studios, publishers and telcos across multiple markets. This ecosystem already translates into billions of CTV ad impressions managed every year and partnerships with agencies and demand partners across the programmatic landscape.  

FAST is no longer just another streaming format. 

It is becoming a structural layer of connected TV — redefining how television is distributed, monetized and scaled globally.