Samsung TV Plus, the FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) service from Samsung Electronics, has grown into a global media platform used by more than 100 million people a month.
Samsung Electronics said on the 13th that the worldwide monthly active users (MAU) of Samsung TV Plus have surpassed 100 million.
This is the result of an increase of 12 million in 1 year and 2 months after recording 88 million in Oct. 2024.
Samsung Electronics noted that the viewership scale of 100 million per month is on par with the three major global broadcasters.
Samsung TV Plus currently offers 4,300 channels and about 76,000 videos on demand (VOD) for free in 30 countries.
It is also building a global FAST ecosystem by working with local broadcasters and content producers to steadily expand content tailored to regional demand.
Samsung Electronics explained, "Hardware leadership that has kept the No. 1 spot in the global TV market for 19 years is expanding into an ecosystem as a media platform."
FAST services are drawing attention as a new viewing method amid rising subscription fees for paid over-the-top (OTT) services and increasing viewer fatigue due to platform fragmentation.
By combining the intuitiveness of traditional TV, which lets viewers watch content the moment they turn on the set, with the variety of OTT, which allows viewers to choose content to suit their tastes, it has quickly attracted viewers who want a simple viewing experience.
Samsung Electronics began offering free channel service on Samsung smart TVs in 2015, before the FAST concept was established.
As FAST services grew in the U.S. market, Samsung Electronics fostered Samsung TV Plus as an independent media platform.
By applying AI-based technology, it reintroduced popular 2000s drama in high definition and strengthened lifestyle content by programming popular creator channels.
Recently, by introducing the first 24-hour terrestrial news channel on a domestic FAST platform, Samsung TV Plus has been evolving into a comprehensive media platform that encompasses AI-based archive content, creator content, and real-time news.
Samsung Electronics plans to continue expanding its role in the global media ecosystem through Samsung TV Plus.
Choi Jun-heon, head of the TV Plus Group in the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, said, "Samsung TV Plus has grown into a global media platform that is naturally consumed in the daily lives of viewers around the world," adding, "We will continue to strengthen differentiated competitiveness in the FAST market by diversifying channels and securing premium content."