More than 70% of European audiences are watching FAST channels daily or several times a week, according to new research unveiled by Rakuten TV at SXSW London.
Cédric Dufour, CEO and president of Rakuten TV, presented the findings, commissioned by Rakuten TV Enterprise, in London on a panel with Lucy Halliday, VP of business development for international at AMC Global Media UK. AMC FAST channels have successfully rolled out on Rakuten TV, including True Crime UK, co-owned with Paramount Global, and Love After Lockup.
Per the study, 73.7% of surveyed viewers watch FAST daily or several times per week, and just over 80% consider FAST a primary way to watch television or an alternative to paid streaming services. Further, 60.7% expect to increase their use of FAST services in the future, and just 4.3% plan to watch less on FAST. Viewers are also largely fine with watching ads on FAST (82.3%), especially if they are relevant, help discover new content, or are simply accepted as part of accessing said content for free.
FAST is being powered by both financial and discovery imperatives; 45.9% of viewers surveyed use FAST to decide which subscription services are worth paying for, and 29.9% use FAST to help reduce overall subscription spending.
An emerging opportunity is advertising touchpoints beyond traditional in-stream video: 66.4% of viewers noticed ads during programs, 62.9% spotted them before shows, almost 30% noticed homescreen advertising, and 26.8% noticed pause screen advertising.
The key to success in FAST involves balancing broad reach and niche fandom. Per the study, movies and TV series remain the strongest drivers of engagement across Europe, while themed and genre-based channels are a key growth opportunity. Indeed, that is the only sector where audience demand exceeds current viewing behavior, suggesting that specialized content experiences are not yet available at scale. And local content is paramount.
There are differences emerging across key European territories; in the U.K., FAST is increasingly driving content discovery and subscription decision-making. In Germany, subscription fatigue is contributing to FAST adoption. Local is particularly important in Spain and Italy.
Dufour said, “FAST is entering a new phase of maturity across Europe, evolving from an emerging trend into a mainstream viewing behavior across multiple markets. For content owners, this creates significant opportunities to extend the value of content libraries, increase audience reach, and build deeper engagement within ad-supported environments. Rakuten TV Enterprise sits at the heart of this evolution—connecting content owners with the right audiences, platforms, and monetization opportunities across Europe, while helping create viewer experiences that feel relevant and sustainable. Our evolving partnership with AMC Global Media UK reflects this shift. Bringing globally recognized IP into FAST environments demonstrates how premium content can reach new audiences through free streaming access, while extending the long-term value and discoverability of content libraries.”
Halliday added, “As viewing habits continue to evolve, FAST is becoming an increasingly important part of the mix for us, sitting alongside broadcast, licensing, and subscription to expand how audiences discover and access content in the U.K. Our partnership with Rakuten TV shows how this works in practice, bringing premium, IP-led channels to new audiences in a way that feels accessible and relevant to today’s viewing behaviours. FAST is proving highly additive, driving discovery and engagement while complementing our wider distribution strategy. As we grow our FAST footprint across the U.K., partnerships like this will be key to scaling reach and unlocking further value from our content portfolio.”
