FASTMaster Intelligence's Chart of the Week: The Shoulder Economy of Sports on FAST
FAST Sports isn't about Major Leagues; it's about the 'Shoulder Economy.' Tier 1 leagues use it for highlights, while the EPG is filled by a long tail of 50+ Combat & Niche channels. It’s an ecosystem defined by the density of available rights, not the scarcity of exclusive games.
Everyone asks when "Tier 1" live sports are coming to FAST. The data shows they are already here—just not in the way you expect. This week’s FASTMaster Intelligence chart breaks down the sports ecosystem by sub-genre, revealing a distinct split in strategy. While the Major Leagues (NFL, MLB, PGA) use FAST primarily as a marketing funnel for archival and highlight content, the real volume is being driven by the long tail.
We are seeing a massive aggregation of niche rights—specifically in Combat Sports and Outdoor/Lifestyle—that struggle for airtime on traditional linear cable. FAST has become the primary engine for these leagues, using high-volume, 24/7 distinct feeds to aggregate audiences that are too fragmented for broadcast.
Explore the interactive chart below to see which channels have the greatest carriage across major FAST platforms in the US. Tier 1 live sports will remain a rarity on FAST, reserved for strategic 'reach events' rather than becoming standard inventory. As I predicted during my time at Variety—and as Fox validated with last year's Super Bowl—major live games will only cross the paywall when a platform needs to maximize total reach for ad delivery or investor narratives.
