FAST Channels and Virtual Linear Streaming for Broadcasters and OTT

What a FAST channel actually is

A FAST channel — Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV — is a scheduled, always-on channel delivered over the internet and paid for by advertising instead of subscription. The viewer gets the lean-back experience of broadcast television: they tune in to something already playing rather than picking a title. Underneath, it runs entirely on streaming infrastructure.

A virtual linear channel is the same idea applied more broadly: software-defined playout that assembles a VOD library and live sources into one continuous stream. There is no broadcast chain and no dedicated hardware per channel. That is the shift that makes FAST work — a channel becomes a schedule and a config, not a rack of equipment.

Why broadcasters are launching them

The pull is economic. A traditional linear channel carries a high fixed cost, so you only launch one when you are confident it will earn its keep. A virtual linear channel costs little enough to run that you can launch a niche channel — a single sport, a back-catalogue genre, an event pop-up — and keep it only as long as it makes sense.

For a broadcaster sitting on a deep content library, that turns an archive into channels. The same content that streams on demand can also run as a scheduled channel that monetises through ads, reaching the audience that wants to lean back rather than browse.

How Eyevinn builds it

We build on open-source playout and scheduling so the channel stack is yours to run. A typical engagement covers the scheduler that turns your library and live sources into a 24/7 stream, the playout that delivers it, SCTE-35 ad-marker signaling so the channel monetises through SSAI, and the operational tooling to add, remove, and reschedule channels without a vendor in the loop.

We build on open-source components — including Eyevinn's own Channel Engine and Schedule Service — so you can inspect and run every piece yourself. We start from what breaks in production: schedule gaps, mid-roll ad breaks that have to land cleanly, and channels that hold up when one becomes a hit.

FAST and SSAI: one ad path, not many

The point of a FAST channel is the advertising, so the ad path matters as much as the playout. We signal ad breaks on virtual linear channels with SCTE-35 — the same standard a broadcast feed uses — which means the channels plug into the same server-side ad insertion you already run for live and VOD.

That keeps you on one ad-tech integration across live, FAST, and on-demand inventory instead of three. If you are still deciding how to handle ad delivery, our SSAI and DAI work covers the stitching and signaling these channels depend on.

Who we work with

We build streaming and ad-delivery infrastructure for broadcasters and OTT platforms across the Nordics, the UK, and beyond. Our work includes TV4, ITV, TV2 Norway, and FloSports — covering live sports, large-scale OTT, and linear-to-digital workflows where delivery has to hold up under peak concurrency.

We work the same way wherever you operate: build on open-source foundations, keep the channel stack portable, and leave you owning and running the result.

See how we handle ad insertion on these channels →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a FAST channel?

A FAST channel (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) is a linear, scheduled channel delivered over the internet and funded by advertising rather than subscription. Viewers get a lean-back, always-on experience like broadcast TV, but it runs on streaming infrastructure. The channel is assembled from a schedule of VOD content and live sources, then delivered as a continuous stream with ad breaks.

How is a FAST channel different from a traditional linear TV channel?

The viewer experience is similar, but the economics are not. A traditional linear channel needs broadcast playout hardware and carriage, so each channel carries a high fixed cost. A virtual linear or FAST channel is software-defined playout running on streaming infrastructure, which lets you launch a channel at a fraction of the cost of traditional live and shut it down or reschedule it without touching hardware.

Can FAST channels carry server-side ad insertion?

Yes. We signal ad breaks on virtual linear channels with SCTE-35 markers, the same standard used in broadcast, so the channels monetise through SSAI exactly like a broadcast feed. That means you can reuse the same ad-tech integration across your live, FAST, and VOD inventory rather than building a separate ad path for each.

Do we get locked into a FAST channel vendor?

Not with how we build it. Eyevinn's playout and scheduling are open-source, so you own and operate the channel stack and can run it in your own infrastructure. There are no per-channel licensing fees, and you can add, remove, or reschedule channels yourself without coming back to a vendor for every change.