News is most important FAST genre globally, Amagi report says
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John Moulding
| 24 October 2023
2 News is most important FAST genre globally Amagi report
The latest FAST Report from Amagi shows that news is the highest-ranking genre globally, contributing the most global ad impressions (40%) and hours of viewing (37%), covering the year to Q2 2023. APAC is now the fastest growing market for FAST.

The growth figures for APAC are based on ad impressions served in FAST services and hours of viewing. The U.S. is projected to remain the largest FAST market but has witnessed relatively moderate growth, with an increase of 20% in ad impressions and 12% in hours of viewing (HOV) during the study period (Q2 2022 to Q2 2023). APAC saw 290% growth in ad impressions and 181% in HOV.

LatAm saw a 174% growth in ad impressions and a 20% growth in HOV, while EMEA experienced a 64% increase in ad impressions and a 58% hike in HOV.

Returning to the genre rankings, news was the most important genre in the U.S. and APAC when regions were split out. In the U.S., news accounts for 44% of ad impressions and 46% HOV. In APAC the figures are 47% of ad impressions and 36% HOV. In EMEA and LatAm, it is movies that contributed the most to ad impressions and HOV in the year to Q2 2023.

This is the ninth Quarterly Global FAST Report that Amagi, which provides cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV, has published. It examines viewer data across 50-plus FAST platforms and a sample of 1,500 channel deliveries that use Amagi THUNDERSTORM, the company's server-side ad insertion platform.

The report also provides insights into audience preferences and viewing habits based on the 2023 Amagi Consumer Survey of over 500 U.S. households, which represents participants of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

Amagi says FAST is thriving, and reshaping how viewers consume content. The company is now looking at what comes next. Srinivasan KA, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Amagi, says: “With FAST 2.0 on the horizon, we're entering an era where personalisation, interactivity, and innovative ad formats will be key to creating a truly dynamic and engaging linear television experience.”