According to a study by market research firm Omdia, the global free,ad-supported streaming TV service, or FAST, will generate $6.3 billion in revenue in the current year.

The US is currently the largest market for FAST channels, accounting for around 80% of the global FAST market. However, Omdia predicts that the UK, Canada and Australia will become major competitors to the US, and that the FAST market in these countries will expand rapidly over the next four years.

While the US will continue to dominate the FAST market, revenues from FAST channels outside the US will increase by US$1.6 billion by 2027. The UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, France, Spain and Sweden will be the top 10 FAST markets outside the US.

Maria Rua Aguete, senior director at Omdia, said, "While three of the top five FAST markets are English-speaking countries, Canada, Germany and Brazil, which rank third, fourth and fifth, will provide broadcast opportunities for non-English content on FAST channels."

Earlier this year, an Omdia report showed that global FAST revenues grew nearly 20-fold between 2019 and 2022, and will triple between 2022 and 2027 to reach a total of US$12 billion. Much of this growth will be driven by the US, which currently accounts for approximately 90% of the global FAST channel market. The US FAST market is expected to generate more than US$10 billion in revenue by 2027.