FAST operators have from their beginnings competed in an arms race of tonnage, trying to usurp one another based on sheer volume of channels.
Count Plex in. The largest independent free ad-supported streaming operator, available in 180 countries, announced Wednesday that it now offers more than 1,100 free-to-stream live TV channels -- 1,112 to be precise.
“Our aim for live TV on Plex is to have something for all of our users’ television tastes all over the world,” said Plex CEO Kieth Valory, in a statement. “While this ever-growing library of free-to-stream entertainment drives Plex toward this goal of offering any entertainment a consumer may want, we are also diligently focused on providing advertisers with unparalleled reach and the transparency that should come with it.”
According to Gavin Bridge, VP of Media Research for CPG Global, who tracks the number of FAST channels in the United States via his monthly FASTMaster report, there were more than 1,963 FAST channels in the U.S. alone as of March 2024. Currently, Plex has 847 of them (including hyper-local).
"And it's growing every day," Plex's Wednesday press release boasts.
But like that aughts-era Saturday Night Live Skit "Taco Town," which featured Andy Samberg, Bill Hader and Jason Sudeikis as young hungry consumers initially thrilled ... but increasingly overwhelmed, and then disturbed, by the sheer volume of food being thrown at them, the broader FAST industry might be beginning to ask itself, how much is too much?
In January, five FAST industry executives who spoke at NATPE predicted a culling of channels by the end of the year, citing the cost-efficiency of launching new channels in an oversaturated market, according to Penske showbis trade Deadline.
And earlier this week, The Information reported that Disney Plus is looking to add "always-on" linear channels to its service -- not so much as to enter the FAST arms race but to reduce the amount of VOD-related decisions its lean-back-craving audience is demanding.
