Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and Connected TV (CTV) announced that the 10th edition of its Quarterly Global FAST Report, comparing Q3 2022 to Q3 2023 and Q4 2022 to Q4 2023, has found consistent growth in ad impressions within the global FAST market, with increases of 15% in Q3 and 28% in Q4. Channel deliveries and Hours Of Viewing (HOV) showed significant growth over the same periods. Channel deliveries grew by 45% in Q3 and 25% in Q4, and HOV rose by 30% in Q3 and 26% in Q4. These steady numbers demonstrate how FAST continues to be a popular streaming model, enabling advertisers to target specific audiences and content providers to differentiate themselves within the broader video advertising ecosystem.

Moreover, an introduction to the report by Gavin Bridge at FASTMaster Consulting, provides stakeholders with key insights into how they can take further advantage of this underutilized ad market.

“FAST’s global audience continues to grow, offering advertisers new opportunities to reach consumers,” said Bridge. “2024 will be a pivotal year for the medium as it looks to see ad spending catch up to viewing trends, as well as greater awareness of who the FAST audience is and why they are an attractive target.”

Amagi’s 10th Quarterly Global FAST Report combines findings from analyst reports with real-time data from the Amagi ANALYTICS platform and Amagi’s consumer survey, representing over 500 US households across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The report also examines viewer data across 50-plus FAST platforms and approximately 3,800 channel deliveries that use Amagi THUNDERSTORM, the company’s proprietary server-side ad insertion (SSAI) platform.

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Key Highlights From the Report:

1. Ads Are Worth It: While 46% of survey respondents primarily use SVOD services, 44% use FAST or AVOD, with two-thirds of viewers saying they’ll willingly watch ads if it means receiving free, high-quality content. This finding demonstrates the potential for continued migration to AVOD and FAST services.
2. APAC Surpasses in Overall Growth: APAC is the only region that shows a three-digit growth in both analyses (Q3 2022 vs. Q3 2023 and Q4 2022 vs. Q4 2023) across HOV (145% in Q3 and 130% in Q4) and ad impressions (281% in Q3 and 352% in Q4).
3. News Takes a Huge Lead Over Other Genres Globally: News contributed a substantial 41% to total HOV worldwide in Q3 2023, followed by 37% in Q4 2023, maintaining its status as the most watched genre. Movies trailed behind at an 11% share in Q3 2023 and a 9% share in Q4 2023, with nature and wildlife as the third runner-up at 8% and 6% during the same quarters.
4. EMEA and LATAM Have Their Own Preferences: While news may dominate other genres on a global scale, both EMEA and LATAM show a stronger preference for movies. In EMEA, this genre remained the crowd favorite at a consistent 18% HOV contribution across Q3 2023 and Q4 2023, while news came second at 13% and then at 11%. In LATAM, news never reached the top three, with movies at a massive lead (50% in Q3 2023, 52% in Q4 2023), lifestyle in second place (14%, 16%), and sports in third (8%, 7%).

“As this latest edition of the Global FAST report shows, stakeholders need to start aligning their strategies with the pace at which ad dollars are now moving in the FAST lane,” said Srinivasan KA, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Amagi. “The surge in ad dollars toward CTV is not just a trend; it’s a seismic shift reshaping the digital advertising landscape. Advertisers, content providers, and FAST services must recognize the incredible opportunities within this dynamic environment.”

Amagi provides a complete suite of solutions for channel creation, distribution, and monetization. Amagi’s global clients include ABS-CBN, AccuWeather, A+E Networks UK, beIN Sports, Cineverse, Cox Media Group, Crackle Plus, Fremantle, Gannett, Gusto TV, NBCUniversal, PAC-12, Tastemade, and The Roku Channel among others.

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