Soccer’s Path to FAST Profitability
Soccer, aka football, has established a significant presence on FAST in recent years, making its first major splash with the launch of FIFA+ on Samsung TV in 2023, according to TeleGraff Media president William “Bill” Graff. But the sport’s growth on FAST and streaming in general, where it is growing significantly faster than it is on broadcast, has come as the result of improvements in ad-stitching technology and sponsors’ growing recognition that streaming is where the audience is and the data value of streaming viewers. Graff provides a capsule history of the sport’s ascendancy on ad-supported and subscription-based streaming and a snapshot of where it stands now (including Apple’s recently extended MLS broadcast deal) in this discussion with Chris Pfaff Tech Media’s Chris Pfaff at Streaming Media Connect 2026.
The Current State of Soccer and FAST
Pfaff opens the conversation by asking Graff, “Where is soccer with FAST right now?”
“Well, in a nutshell, soccer, or football, is in great shape with FAST right now, and it’s not because there hasn’t been a concerted effort over the last few years to build the architecture to allow for monetization and revenue enhancement on a number of levels,” Graff replies. He points to FIFA+ launching on a few FAST platforms in 2023. “And at the same time, the backend, the latency and automatic ad stitching technology now is maturing to where the monetization can now start to support streaming going more aggressively for rights,” he notes.
By 2024, cable and broadcast networks became less aggressive in pursuing soccer rights: “They’re down 15% in what they’re paying, but streaming’s up 38%. And a lot of that has to do with the support from sponsorship. Nearly three quarters of kit and stadium sponsors have a clause that demands inventory in streaming. They realize that’s where the audience is.”
Graff continues, “At the same time, [factor in] the data monetization—the fact that a streaming viewer is worth $2 to $4 more CPM-wise than a regular viewer because of the information that you can get through the platform. So at this point, soccer’s fully sustaining on streaming with a digital revenue stack, AVOD and SVOD fees, sponsorship, fees for the data, and e-commerce that you can do along with the same platforms. So this is all leading up to the climax of live soccer in the United States in the summer.”
A Recent Lucrative Partnership
Pfaff and Graff dismiss recent tournaments such as the 2025 Club World Cup, Copa América, and the Gold Cup. Pfaff wonders, “So you see this growth in FAST with soccer and particularly live at the same time that Apple threw down an amazing amount of money for MLS. I would think that that might move more people to FAST.”
Graff agrees, but notes that “a lot of people question what’s the purpose of picking up MLS, especially worldwide rights, because MLS is not taken all that seriously in other parts of the world as a major soccer league.” Pfaff confirms this, adding that “Messi’s $28.3 million annual salary is more than every other MLS club except LAFC. Just saying.”
Graff jumps on this observation to assert that “the reason that Apple did this is because while people around the world would not necessarily pay a subscription fee to follow MLS, they will to follow Leo Messi.” Pfaff says he’s happy to be one of those people.
Join us August 11–13, 2026 for more thought leadership, actionable insights, and lively debate at Streaming Media Connect 2026! Registration is open!
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