NBCUniversal Local FAST Channels See Real Revenue
The NBCUniversal Local FAST channels are growing, well, fast. The 11 ad-supported sites representing NBC stations, which include WNBC New York and KNBC Los Angeles, began their rollout in January 2022 and four Telemundo regional channels debuted in November 2022.
The Telemundo channels — Noticias Telemundo California, Noticias Telemundo Florida, Noticias Telemundo Noreste and Noticias Telemundo Texas — are collaborations between multiple owned-and-operated stations.
It’s no surprise that FAST channel users are younger than those who watch linear news on TV. What may be more surprising is that the OTT users consume more NBCU Local content.
“They watch for longer periods on FAST,” said Meredith McGinn, executive VP, NBCU Local Media, multicast networks and original programming, adding that the average time spent viewing is 25 to 30 minutes.
Four platforms picked up the NBCU channels last year: Local Now, Freevee, TCL, FireTV and Google TV. The channels also reach users on Peacock, Xumo Play, Samsung TV Plus and The Roku Channel.
More platform launches are planned.
Central to the channels’ programming strategy are exclusive live newscasts. KNBC, for one, has unique newscasts in the 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. slots, and plans to introduce more. WNBC will introduce a 7 a.m. newscast on its FAST channel next week.
Three of the Telemundo FAST channels offer original evening newscasts. The FAST newscast model ranges from a 15-minute program to 30 minutes or more. Angela Grande, director of streaming news channels, NBCUniversal, stressed the importance of the stations’ flexible approach to unique newscasts. “They are trying new things in a quickly evolving space,” she said.
Other original programming includes documentaries, such as KNSD San Diego’s American Vets: Benefits, Race & Inequality, and live-event coverage. “They give the stations the ability to lean into big community events,” said Grande. “Some of those have national appeal.”
Those include NBC New York News running a special on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting, and the NBC Chicago News special on the Chicago Marathon.
The FAST channels can go and stay live when severe weather or major breaking news turns up in a market. Noticias Telemundo Florida, for one, went with 15 hours of live coverage when Hurricane Idalia arrived in the Tampa Bay area in August. “The major weather events are when people are turning for timely, critical information,” Grande said.
McGinn said the group has “seen a lot of success” in the regional approach for the Telemundo FAST channels. NBCU will look at some of them, she added, and contemplate whether it makes sense to let a major Telemundo station launch its own FAST channel.
Besides extending the local news brands to users on the go, NBCU is getting real revenue from the FAST platforms. McGinn called it “significant.”
“There absolutely is revenue on these platforms and we’re seeing it grow week by week,” she added.