--- title: "What Is a FAST Channel? Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV Explained" description: "A FAST channel is a free, scheduled streaming channel funded by ads. See how one is built, how it earns and how it differs from AVOD." url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/fast-channel" markdown_url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/fast-channel.md" category: "Live & linear" updated: "2026-10-05" --- # What is a FAST channel? A FAST channel (free ad-supported streaming television) is a linear channel delivered over the internet that viewers watch for free, with advertising in scheduled breaks. It looks and behaves like a television channel but needs no subscription or aerial. ## How a FAST channel works A playout system turns a catalog into a continuous schedule. Markers in the stream signal where ad breaks fall, and an ad system fills each break with ads chosen for that viewer. The channel is then delivered through your own apps, through smart TV channel line-ups or through services that aggregate free channels. ## How a FAST channel earns Revenue is advertising: viewing hours multiplied by ads per hour, fill rate and CPM, divided by 1,000. When a channel is carried by a third-party service, that service usually either shares the ad revenue or takes part of the ad inventory to sell itself. ## FAST vs AVOD Both are free and paid for by ads. In AVOD the viewer picks a title and starts it. In FAST the viewer joins a schedule already in progress. The same catalog can feed both, and many services offer the channel for passive viewing and the on-demand catalog for those who want to choose. ## What a FAST channel needs - Enough content to fill a schedule without constant repeats, usually a few hundred hours - A clear theme: a genre, a single show, a sport, a language - Rights that cover free, ad-supported linear distribution - A program guide feed for the services that carry the channel - Ad demand, direct or programmatic, to fill the breaks ## FAST channel on RentAnOTT RentAnOTT supports live channels (included on Growth and Scale) and advertising on every plan, with an advanced advertising add-on at $169/month. Ask us on a demo how your channel's ad breaks would be set up. [See features](https://www.rentanott.com/features). ## Related terms - [Linear channel](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/linear-channel) — A linear channel is a continuous stream of programs played in a fixed schedule, like a traditional television channel. Viewers join whatever is on at that moment rather than choosing a title to start. - [AVOD](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/avod) — AVOD (advertising-based video on demand) is a streaming model where viewers watch on-demand video for free and the service earns from the ads shown before, during or after it. - [Playout](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/playout) — Playout is the process, and the system, that turns a schedule into a continuous channel. It plays each program, live feed, promotion and ad break in order, around the clock, and outputs a single stream ready for delivery. - [EPG](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/epg) — An EPG (electronic program guide) is the on-screen schedule for linear channels. It shows what is playing now and what is coming up on each channel, usually as a grid of channels against time, and lets the viewer tune to a program from it. - [SSAI](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/ssai) — SSAI (server-side ad insertion) is a way of delivering video advertising in which the ads are stitched into the stream on the server before it reaches the viewer. The player receives one continuous stream containing both program and ads. - [CPM](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/cpm) — CPM (cost per mille) is the price an advertiser pays for one thousand ad impressions. It is the standard unit for pricing video advertising, and the rate a streaming service earns for each thousand ads it shows. - [Fill rate](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/fill-rate) — Fill rate is the percentage of ad requests that are answered with an ad. If a service requests 1,000 ads and receives 700, its fill rate is 70%. Unfilled requests earn nothing. - [CTV advertising](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/ctv-advertising) — CTV advertising is video advertising delivered inside streaming apps on connected televisions: smart TVs, streaming sticks, set-top boxes and consoles. It combines the full-screen impact of television with the targeting and measurement of digital advertising. ## Further reading - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing) - [Streaming aggregators explained](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/streaming-aggregators) - [OTT revenue calculator](https://www.rentanott.com/tools/ott-revenue-calculator) ## Frequently asked questions ### What does FAST stand for? FAST stands for free ad-supported streaming television. ### Is a FAST channel live? It is delivered as a live stream, but most of what it shows is recorded. The schedule is what makes it linear, not live production. ### How much content does a FAST channel need? There is no fixed minimum. A few hundred hours lets a schedule run without obvious repetition; single-series channels work with less because repetition is the point. All 163 terms: [Streaming and OTT glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary). ## Book a demo Tell RentAnOTT what you are launching. The team walks through the platform and maps the path to go-live around your catalog, markets and revenue model. Book a demo: https://www.rentanott.com/contact ## More from RentAnOTT - [Home](https://www.rentanott.com/index.md) — What RentAnOTT is, what every plan includes, and how launch works - [Features](https://www.rentanott.com/features.md) — Every core feature and optional add-on - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing.md) — Platform tiers, apps, add-ons, usage rates and example bills in INR and USD - [Free tools](https://www.rentanott.com/tools.md) — OTT app builder and calculators for streaming revenue, bandwidth, bitrate and pricing - [Insights](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs.md) — All streaming business articles - [Glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary.md) — Definitions of streaming and OTT terms - [Book a demo](https://www.rentanott.com/contact.md) — Talk to RentAnOTT about your launch Full site in one file: https://www.rentanott.com/llms-full.txt