India's FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) inventory is primarily embedded within major OTT platforms rather than standalone FAST services. The main sources:
- JioHotstar (free tier): Hundreds of live linear channels — regional news, entertainment, and sports — accessible without a subscription. This is the largest FAST inventory pool in India by reach, served via Google DAI (Dynamic Ad Insertion). Advertiser access is through DV360 or direct IO with the JioHotstar sales team.
- Zee5 (free tier): Zee's broadcast portfolio — Zee News, Zee Business, Zee regional entertainment channels in multiple Indian languages. Ad serving via PubMatic/Magnite. Reaches Tier 2 and Tier 3 audiences who access Zee content without a subscription.
- SonyLIV (free tier): Sony's broadcast channels, primarily news and some entertainment. Limited compared to Zee5 and JioHotstar but available programmatically via SpringServe.
- Samsung TV Plus: A dedicated FAST service on Samsung smart TVs sold in India, aggregating channels from multiple content providers. Smaller reach than the OTT platforms but growing as Samsung TV penetration increases.
India does not have large standalone FAST platforms equivalent to Pluto TV or Tubi (which are US-specific). The FAST model here is embedded in OTT apps as a free access tier rather than as separate dedicated services.
For advertisers, India FAST inventory offers lower CPMs (20–40% below premium on-demand AVOD on the same platform), higher ad loads (6–8 min/hour), and disproportionate reach into regional language and Tier 2/3 audiences. Targeting relies on genre, language, and channel-level contextual signals rather than title-level metadata.
Related questions
- What is AVOD, SVOD, and FAST?
- What CTV platforms are available in India?
- How big is the CTV market in India?
For a full breakdown, see the FAST channels in India knowledge base article.