It may look like the future of television, but its appeal is rooted firmly in the past. To the viewer on the couch, the distinction between broadcast, cable, and streaming is increasingly irrelevant; it is all simply television.
For the millions of viewers flocking to free ad-supported streaming television, or FAST, the experience is familiar.
That continuity is key to understanding the platform’s explosive growth, which is being driven by simplicity and variety as much as by its free price tag. “FAST is often referred to as the new cable, because it is a very cable-like experience,” said Justin Fromm, head of insights and thought leadership, Samsung Ads, in this video interview with Beet.TV.
The new cable
The notion that FAST feels familiar is not an accident but a core feature of its design, Fromm argued.
“The truth is that cable has been training viewers for FAST for years,” Fromm said. “If you look at the program guide today, cable channels run blocks of content for hours on end. And so, a lot of FAST, which is single IP channels, is very familiar to viewers. It is content that they want to watch.”
While the “free” aspect is a powerful lure, especially as subscription costs rise, Fromm contended that value is just the “undergirding” for what really matters: simplicity and variety. “Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s FAST service, is TV out of the box,” he said. “You don’t need a subscription, you don’t need a credit card, you don’t need to log in. You don’t need to spend 20 to 30 minutes trying to figure out what you want to watch.”
A one-for-one replacement
For advertisers, this behavioral mirroring of cable is significant. According to Fromm, Samsung’s analysis of viewers who adopt its Samsung TV Plus service found a direct substitution of viewing habits. They were watching roughly 50 hours of entertainment cable per month before adoption, and that time simply migrated over.
“When they adopt TV Plus, we see that there is a one-for-one replacement of that content,” Fromm explained. The key takeaway for brands, he said, is access to a valuable audience. “For advertisers, that means you have a high quality audience watching high quality content… that can’t be scrolled through, can’t be skipped, and is on the biggest screen in the home.”
To capitalize on this, Fromm said Samsung Ads offers solutions under its Optimal Reach suite that use its proprietary data to go beyond simple linear targeting. The tools allow for identifying audiences for incremental reach or for “competitive conquesting” against rival brands. “We also know when they’ve seen the ad of a competitive brand,” he noted.
Personalized and programmed
Fromm predicts the evolution of FAST will accelerate, moving beyond its cable-like roots into a more dynamic and premium experience. His forecast for the sector by 2026 is a platform that is “personalized, programmed, and ready for prime time.”
The personalization will come from using AI and machine learning to surface relevant content, an area Samsung has already invested in with a major interface overhaul announced in 2022. The “programmed” element refers to curated channels like the recently announced Samsung Television Network.
For Fromm, “ready for prime time” means a significant push into live events. Following tests like streaming a Jonas Brothers concert, Fromm sees more live content pulling in unique fan bases. This push is already visible in recent partnerships with Major League Baseball, the PGA Tour, and Formula 1. “You’re going to see a lot more live content,” he said, “allowing advertisers to reach them in the moment in a really engaged content.”