Time to get serious about FAST, Omnicom Media Netherlands tells advertisers
FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) is no longer a complementary offering within the CTV ecosystem, but is becoming central to it.
That’s the claim by media agency Omnicom Media Netherlands and adtech company ShowHeroes based on a survey they commissioned.
The study found that when choosing a platform today, viewers consistently favour free, ad-supported options over taking another monthly subscription service.
“Subscription fatigue is not cyclical – it is structural,” declares Ilhan Zengin, CEO at ShowHeroes Group (above, left).
Economic equilibrium
“The European streaming market has reached economic equilibrium.
European households now maintain an average of two to three paid streaming subscriptions, but the survey shows that 58% want to reduce subscription costs.
The study also found that 37% of respondents would cancel a paid service if advertising were introduced without meaningful price reductions.
“FAST represents the next phase of connected TV,” Zengin continues. “This is where scale, engagement and ad acceptance converge.
“For the industry, this is not simply another distribution channel. It is a rebalancing of the streaming model itself.”
‘The Rise of FAST: Consumer Preferences in Connected TV’ study surveyed 4,377 people aged 18–65 across the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.
It contends that as subscription growth plateaus, FAST is emerging as the most scalable driver of incremental reach within connected TV.
The authors believe there are significant implications for advertisers.
“In France and the Netherlands, more than half of FAST users do not use any SAVOD (subscription with advertising VOD) platform.
“In Germany, FAST reaches nearly half of viewers who are otherwise invisible to traditional subscription-based advertising. This is not duplicated reach – it is incremental.”
The authors say advertising acceptance is measurably stronger in FAST environments compared to paid ad-supported tiers.
“When content is free, viewers perceive advertising as a fair value exchange, particularly when ads are relevant, concise, and limited to approximately four minutes per hour.”
Consumer-led correction
Marit van Zon, insights consultant at Omnicom Media Netherlands (above, centre) says: “What we are witnessing is a consumer-led correction.
“Audiences are making rational decisions about value and are responding positively to environments where that value exchange is clear.
“FAST combines high engagement with high receptivity. For brands, that creates an opportunity to connect in moments of genuine attention rather than forced exposure.”
More than half the study respondents said they turn to FAST when they do not know what to watch. Sixty-two per cent of FAST users watch in the evening, 57% tune in several times per week, and 66% report high overall satisfaction.
ShowHeroes provides premium publisher partnerships and advanced contextual targeting technology, among other things.
Sarah Lewis, global vice president for CTV at the company (above, right), says: “As connected TV matures, growth is no longer about stacking subscriptions.
“It is about delivering value in smarter ways. Our research shows that ‘Open CTV’, particularly FAST channels, is unlocking incremental reach by attracting viewers who refuse to pay more but still demand premium entertainment.
“In this environment, advertising is not an interruption but is part of a transparent exchange. That fundamentally changes how brands should think about CTV strategy.”
Omnicom Media Netherlands is part of Omnicom group. In the Netherlands it operates with full-service media agencies Initiative, OMD, PHD, UM and social & content marketing agency YUNE.