Third of Americans Regularly Watch FAST Channels During Peak Primetime Hours: Survey

A third of Americans surveyed say they regularly watch FAST channels during peak primetime hours. This was one of the main findings from market research conducted by Xumo and FASTMaster Consulting on viewer engagement.

According to the results, the average FAST viewer now watches one hour and 40 minutes of content in the evening. This compares to two hours and two minutes for SVOD, two hours for broadcast TV, 1 hour and 58 minutes for cable TV, and 1 hour and 31 minutes for AVOD.

In addition, 58% of regular FAST viewers were reported as aged between 18 and 44 which, according to the report, results in FAST’s audience skewing younger than the average. The survey also found that FAST content appeals equally across gender, with half of FAST viewers reported as male and half as female.

Another interesting takeaway was almost half (47%) of consumers that subscribe to a pay-TV service say they also regularly watch FAST content as well. This was slightly higher than the 46% of cord-cutters who also reported to be regular viewers of FAST content.

“The findings of this report underscore the increasingly important role FAST plays in today’s entertainment landscape, dispelling myths and highlighting the diverse, engaged, and growing audience that finds value in our free and easy streaming,” said Stefan Van Engen, Vice President, Content Programming and Partnerships, Xumo. “As engagement levels during primetime rival other major forms of entertainment, it’s clear that FAST is becoming a part of people’s everyday lives.”

The overarching takeaway being presented here is that FAST content shouldn’t be viewed as less appealing than other major forms of entertainment, or as something users only turn to when they can’t find something to watch via more traditional routes, including live TV and paid streaming services.

Regardless of whether that’s the case, these findings do add to the growing consensus that the FAST sector is growing at a rapid rate, and continues to mature into an important part of the wider streaming industry.