Applied AI Embeds In Media Operations - Amagi

Applied AI is moving from pilots to production across media operations, while global Free Ad-supported Streaming TV (FAST) continues to expand, according to Amagi's March 2026 Airtime Report: Special Edition – AI in Media Operations.

The study reports that global Hours of Viewing (HOV) on FAST rose 21% year over year in Q4 2025, with ad impressions up 27%. These trends are drawn from roughly 4,200 FAST channel deliveries supported by Amagi's THUNDERSTORM server-side ad insertion platform. In total, Amagi said it manages more than 9,000 channel deliveries, as indicated in the FY2025–26 Q3 earnings call.

Centred on the acceleration of applied AI, the report is based on a survey of 50 broadcast and streaming leaders assessing 20 end-to-end content operations tasks. Respondents pointed to the greatest AI impact in high-volume, information-driven workflows, including metadata enrichment, context tagging, subtitling and translation, and social content publishing. The report also features insights from Brian Briskman, Co-Founder and Consultant at Likewise Media Consultants, and Cam Price, Co-Founder of LeadStory.

"The industry is entering a phase where AI is no longer just about experimentation — it’s about embedding intelligence directly into operational workflows," said Srinivasan KA, Co-founder and President - Global Business. "Media companies that integrate applied AI across ingest, localization, scheduling, and monetization will unlock meaningful gains in speed, efficiency, and scalability."

Amagi emphasises that AI delivers the most value when natively integrated into workflows, such as automatically flagging QC exceptions, triggering localisation, ensuring rights compliance, and surfacing monetisation opportunities in real time.

FAST growth was recorded across all major regions in Q4 2025 versus Q4 2024: LATAM HOV increased 66% with ad impressions up 77%; APAC rose 23% and 43%; EMEA climbed 22% and 43%; and the U.S. & Canada advanced 17% and 22% respectively.

The U.S. & Canada remain the largest contributors to global FAST HOV and ad impressions, though international markets are steadily gaining share. Entertainment and News continued to be the leading genres worldwide. Channels launched after December 2024 accounted for 18% of global HOV and 16% of global ad impressions in the quarter, signalling ongoing platform expansion and content diversification.

The report concludes that applied AI could represent the next structural shift in media operations, potentially as pivotal as streaming was to content distribution.

The full March 2026 Airtime Report, including complete 'AI in Media Operations' survey findings and detailed regional data, is available at: www.amagi.com/resources/fast-report.