AVOD and FAST platforms launched their businesses on the back of vast content catalogues. But as the sector matures, ad-supported streamers are turning to the creator economy to add diversity, dynamism and fresh programming to the mix.
One of the hottest topics in TV for the last two to three years has been the rapid growth of the AVOD and FAST channel sectors. Partly a response to the overload of subscription-based platforms and partly driven by the increased global penetration of connected TV sets, these advertising-supported, free-to-view services have breathed new life into underexploited catalogues.
The amortisation of established IP remains the backbone of this new ad-supported ecosystem. But as the sector matures, AVOD and FAST platforms are discovering that wall-to-wall library channels are not enough on their own. Increasingly, audiences expect to see fresh and original programming in the mix.
In some respects, the shift mirrors the early years of pay TV, when newly launched cable and satellite channels built audiences through repeats before slowly increasing their original output as advertising and subscription revenues grew.
There is, however, one important difference. Most AVOD and FAST businesses cannot yet justify significant spending on original programming. Large, well-funded AVOD platforms such as ITVX, Tubi and Roku have all invested in scripted and unscripted originals, but they remain the exception rather than the rule. Few dedicated FAST channels can afford to commission anything more ambitious than behind-the-scenes material, interstitials or rapidly produced companion content.
That need for new programming is one reason there has been a sudden surge of interest in bringing creator-led content into the AVOD and FAST fold. But it is not the only reason. According to Emma Whitmore, platforms are “leaning into creator content as it brings fresh voices, younger audiences, and specialist interest areas into their ecosystems. It adds agility, authenticity, and new monetisation opportunities for all parties.”
Put all those factors together and it becomes clear why many of the sector’s biggest players are strengthening their creator credentials.
Leading FAST platform Samsung TV Plus recently announced partnerships with creators including Mark Rober, Dhar Mann, Michelle Khare, Smosh, The Try Guys, Epic Gardening, The Sorry Girls and Donut Media, all of whom now have dedicated FAST channels.
“Samsung TV Plus is building a home for today’s top creators on FAST,” says Salek Brodsky. “This marks a new era where the most innovative and influential storytellers can reach audiences at scale.”
As part of that expansion, Samsung TV Plus and Dhar Mann Studios have agreed to produce 13 original episodes for the creator’s FAST channel. Best known for his uplifting, family-friendly dramas, Dhar Mann described the move as “a major milestone for us as storytellers and producers. It’s a powerful new chapter – not just for our shows, but for how creators can lead on streaming.”
In a separate but related move, LADbible Group launched its own FAST channel on Samsung TV Plus.
Becky Gardner says the move was an obvious one: “With a dedicated YouTube audience already in place and a third of our audience already watching our shows via a television screen, the rise of FAST opened up an opportunity to expand our reach. Our existing content strategy already aligns with the FAST model, so no major changes were needed to deliver entertainment straight into living rooms.”
Currently available in the UK, the channel features some of LADbible Group’s most popular original programming around the clock, including Minutes With, Snack Wars, Agree to Disagree and Would You Rather? To mark the launch, the company also premiered a new format, Jury Room, which sees groups ranging from barristers and business owners to gangsters and Gen Z influencers debate contentious issues.
“As an always-on studio, our bingeable programming is a natural fit for the FAST audience,” says Gardner. “It is fresh, timely and rooted in the cultural zeitgeist. With an average of three new episodes released weekly, each running 20 to 30 minutes, launching our own 24/7 channel was a natural next step.”
Samsung TV Plus is not alone in pursuing creators. Roku was an early mover when it collaborated with Jellysmack to launch the FAST channels Mysteria and Hello Inspo, built around content from 17 creators.
More recently, Tubi has made a series of moves to secure creator partnerships. By August 2025, the company said it had assembled more than 5,000 episodes of digital-first creator content through partnerships with figures including MrBeast, Alan’s Universe, Jomboy Media and CelinaSpookyBoo.
“We are committed to building a bridge to Hollywood for creators to help them reach new audiences,” says Rich Bloom.
To underline that ambition, Tubi recently appointed Kudzi Chikumbu as its new VP of creator partnerships. Formerly global head of creator marketing at TikTok, Chikumbu says he was attracted by Tubi’s “dedication to empowering creators with creative freedom and meaningful incremental audience reach”.
The obvious question is why creators should want to become streamers in the first place.
Whitmore argues that FAST and AVOD platforms allow digital-first brands to “grow their engagement, create a new revenue stream and extend their brand reach beyond social platforms. It is a chance to turn huge online communities into lean-back TV audiences and open up to wider demographics.”
For digital-first studios looking to move into FAST, there is no particular barrier in terms of genre. While many of the best-known creator crossovers are entertainment-led, Little Dot Studios-owned History Hit has been one of the most successful factual examples.
History Hit launched its FAST channel in 2022 and has since built a schedule ranging from ancient civilisations to modern history and pop culture. The channel reported a 64 per cent increase in total watch time in 2024 compared with 2023, while revenues have risen by 200 per cent since launch.
Arguably the bigger challenge is technical rather than editorial. But there are now plenty of specialist intermediaries willing to help creators make the leap.
Whitmore says: “With Amagi, companies can spin up channels quickly, scale globally and monetise with the same sophistication as major broadcasters. It is the bridge from viral to viable.”
Canadian media company Underknown, which operates several YouTube channels, recently launched a FAST channel based on the Popular Science brand.
Available via services including Vizio WatchFree+, Sling Freestream and Plex, the channel combines content from NASA, Hacksmith, Complexly and Underknown’s own catalogue.
Steve Hulford says the goal is to make Popular Science “a destination for curious fans of science and technology”.
The migration was managed by specialist company acTVe. Its CEO, Geoff Clark, says the company acts as a “network-in-a-box” partner for creators, helping them extend their reach from social media and YouTube into connected TV.
For creators without enough scale or content to launch a channel of their own, another option is to join an aggregation service, much as Jellysmack did with Roku.
Spud Gun Studios has taken that route by placing its Mashed content on Animation+, which is available on Roku and Samsung TV Plus.
Tom Jenkins says Animation+ has identified “a massive audience for adult animation that has been poorly served”.
“That is interesting for us,” he says, “because people who have never heard of Mashed might come across our cartoons on the platform.”
As creators already know from YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, every new platform creates fresh challenges. Beyond the need for technical expertise, there are questions of scale, consistency and quality.
Whitmore says creators need to think carefully about maintaining standards and ensuring their content aligns with platform expectations. FAST services, in turn, need confidence that creator-led programming will not create compliance issues.
Clark adds that many creators still produce only vertical video, which does not yet translate naturally to the television screen. There also remains an expectation that content viewed in a living room will meet a higher production standard.
“When viewers intentionally sit down to watch television, they still expect a traditional, high-quality viewing experience,” he says.
Even so, Clark believes the opportunity has never been greater.
“What was once impossible, due to high costs and industry gatekeepers, is now achievable,” he says. “In the past, only a select few, like Oprah, had the resources and infrastructure to front an entire network. Today, while the process requires expertise, the opportunity has never been more accessible.”
This article was previously featured in The Drop magazine issue #1.
