Peer39 says FAST buyers need better signals to scale CTV buying

Peer39 has released new research arguing that buyers of free ad-supported streaming TV are missing key program-level signals even as FAST inventory scales across platforms like Pluto TV, Tubi and The Roku Channel. The report says better signal quality could improve performance, transparency and brand suitability across programmatic CTV.

Why it matters: - FAST now combines scale, premium content and growing viewer demand, but many buyers still lack the data needed to evaluate what they are buying. - Peer39 says better signal quality can improve performance, transparency and brand suitability across programmatic CTV. - The report argues that signal completeness is becoming a competitive advantage for both buyers and publishers.

What happened: - Peer39 released a new research report, “Getting FAST Right: A Signal-First Approach to Buying FAST at Scale.” - The report examines how buyers can use program-level transparency to capture more value from Free Ad-supported Streaming Television. - Peer39 CEO Mario Diez said FAST has become a key part of the CTV ecosystem, but buying practices have not kept pace with what is available. - Diez said buyers are optimizing against incomplete or inaccurate signals, creating inefficiencies at scale.

The details: - Peer39 says FAST platforms such as Pluto TV, Tubi and The Roku Channel are attracting a growing share of TV viewers. - The report says FAST represents billions of daily bid opportunities. - Peer39 found that an increasing number of impressions now include program-level signals that can help evaluate content quality, improve performance and support brand suitability. - The report says 41% of the top 100 streaming shows are available on at least one FAST service. - Titles cited include “NCIS,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Blue Bloods.” - Roughly 40% of CTV bid requests arrive with usable program-level data. - The report introduces the “Signal Dividend,” which it defines as the performance lift that comes from training DSPs on verified program-level data instead of noisy or missing inputs. - Peer39 says FAST environments may offer more reliable and transparent program-level signals than subscription streaming services. - Peer39 found that content-level signals can drive optimization more effectively than proxies such as app-level or bundle-level data. - Supply path selection directly affects signal quality, pricing efficiency and exposure to invalid or misclassified inventory. - Applying authenticated, pre-bid program-level signals can improve transparency, scale and cost efficiency. - The report says buyers can audit signal quality, evaluate supply paths and use pre-bid controls that bring CTV buying closer to linear, program-based strategies. - The report also says publishers should expect signal completeness to influence demand, discoverability and pricing power in programmatic CTV. - Peer39 included a download link for the full report: the full report

Between the lines: - The report pushes back on the idea that FAST is mostly long-tail inventory. - Peer39 is arguing that the real buying problem is not lack of scale, but lack of usable signals at the decision point. - If buyers and DSPs rely more on verified program-level data, FAST could look less like a coarse streaming bucket and more like a more precise media environment.

What’s next: - Peer39 is positioning the report as a practical guide for buyers that want to audit signal quality and tighten pre-bid controls. - Publishers may use the report’s findings to argue for better data completeness as a way to win demand and improve pricing. - The broader CTV market may face more pressure to match inventory scale with clearer program-level transparency.

The bottom line: - FAST is scaling fast. Peer39’s message is that the next unlock is better signals, not just more inventory.