A practical guide to getting your branded FAST channel carried on Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel: carriage, rev share, prerequisites, and timeline.
By Sampath Mallidi, CEO of Revidd · Last updated September 2026
FAST channel distribution onto Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, or The Roku Channel is a business-development deal, not a self-serve upload. You pitch a content partnerships team, negotiate carriage and rev share, then deliver a stable 24/7 HLS feed with cleared rights, a machine-readable EPG, and SCTE-35 ad markers. Carriage is granted, not bought.
TL;DR: Getting “carried” means a curated FAST service lists your channel. That path is BD plus technical onboarding. Amagi and Wurl specialize in managed third-party FAST distribution. Revidd helps you run own branded FAST inside your apps with HLS + SCTE-35 output (Program Manager, EPG, Rescue Playlist). Revidd does not claim managed carriage onto Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, or Tubi. Smart US operators often want both jobs: owned destination first, aggregator reach as a separate contract.
This guide covers what carriage means, how rev share usually works, prerequisites, timeline, and how to choose tooling without buying the wrong vendor.
What does it mean to get a FAST channel “carried”?
Carriage means a FAST platform agrees to list your channel in its lineup, place it in the program guide, and stream it to that platform’s audience. You keep ownership of the channel and the content. The platform provides audience, storefront placement, and usually a share of ad sales.
A FAST channel is a free, ad-supported linear stream: it plays on a schedule, 24/7, like a traditional TV network, with no subscription. Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV (Paramount), and The Roku Channel are three of the largest US-facing FAST aggregators. Getting carried means your channel appears beside hundreds of others in their guide.
These platforms curate. There is no public “submit your channel” button. Partnerships teams say no more often than yes. According to Nielsen’s Gracenote reporting, the global FAST channel count grew nearly 14% in 2025 to roughly 1,850 active channels. More channels chasing finite guide slots raises the bar. A clean, themed, rights-cleared channel with a defined audience is what earns a conversation.
If you are still defining the product, start with what a FAST channel is before you invest in distribution theater.
How does the FAST channel rev-share deal work?
The standard FAST carriage deal is revenue share: the platform sells advertising against your channel and splits proceeds with you. There is no public rate card. Splits are negotiated per deal and depend on content value, who controls ad sales, and leverage.
Two ad-sales structures are common:
Platform-sold inventory: the platform’s ad team sells the slots and pays you a share. Simpler for you, less control, platform usually keeps the larger cut.
Split inventory: you keep a portion of breaks to sell (direct or programmatic) and the platform sells the rest. More upside if you have a real ad operation, more work.
Whatever the structure, the stream usually needs SCTE-35 markers at every ad break so server-side ad insertion (SSAI) systems know where to place commercials. No SCTE-35, no clean monetization, weak deal.
Industry context only (not a Revidd promise): trade press around Streaming Media Connect 2025 has reported many FAST channels seeing fill rates well below top-quartile operations, with mid-teens CPM bands common in public commentary. Treat those figures as third-party benchmarks. We do not publish customer consumer-level ad numbers. For operator economics framing, see how FAST channels make money.
For the full budget, including rights, playout and apps, read what it costs to launch a FAST channel.
What do you need before a platform will carry you?
Before any major FAST aggregator takes you seriously, you typically need three things: cleared rights for every minute, a broadcast-grade 24/7 feed, and a machine-readable EPG. Miss any one and the conversation stops.
Fully cleared rights. Every second must be content you have the legal right to stream ad-supported on a third-party platform. Music, archival footage, and licensed titles need the right window. Sublicensing to aggregators is often a different grant than running the channel in your own apps.
A broadcast-grade feed. Continuous HLS with adaptive bitrate profiles, frame-accurate scheduling, and SCTE-35 ad markers. Dead air gets flagged. Failover matters.
A machine-readable EPG. Platforms ingest schedule as data (often XMLTV). Many expect 7 to 14 days forward. Every second of the broadcast day should map to a program entry, with branded filler covering gaps.
Carriage prerequisites at a glance
Requirement | What it means | Why platforms ask |
|---|---|---|
Cleared rights | Legal right to stream every minute, ad-supported, on a third party | Their legal exposure if you do not have it |
24/7 HLS feed | Continuous adaptive-bitrate stream, no dead air | A linear guide slot cannot go dark |
SCTE-35 markers | Ad-break signaling in the stream | Enables SSAI and rev share |
EPG (XMLTV) | 7 to 14 days of machine-readable schedule | Powers the on-screen guide |
Rescue / filler playlist | Backup content that auto-plays on failure | Protects the slot if scheduled content fails |
Defined audience | Clear, programmable content theme | Curated lineups, finite slots |
Important distinction: Meeting feed prerequisites makes you technically discussable. It does not mean a vendor “gets you on” Samsung TV Plus, Pluto, or The Roku Channel. That still requires a carriage deal (direct or via a distribution specialist).
How do you actually pitch Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and Roku?
You reach each platform’s content partnerships or business-development team and pitch the channel as a programming proposition. There is no public self-serve portal for the three. Distribution happens through relationships: outreach, warm intro, pitch, evaluation, negotiation.
What partnerships teams usually want to see:
A clear channel concept with a defined audience (“general entertainment” loses; niche wins)
Proof you can run a real channel: working feed, programmed schedule, rights docs ready
Library or audience scale that makes a slot worth it
Many operators also work through an aggregator or distribution partner that already has relationships across Samsung TV Plus, Pluto, Roku, LG, Vizio, and others. That can shorten the path in exchange for economics. Going direct keeps more share but takes longer to build trust. Either way, the channel should be technically ready before the first call.
If you have not built the channel yet, how to launch a FAST channel covers production and playout steps that come before BD.
How do Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel compare for carriage?
All three want the same technical fundamentals: a clean 24/7 feed, SCTE-35, and an EPG. They differ in ownership, device footprint, and curation style.
Platform | Owner | Devices (high level) | EPG window often discussed | Notes for carriage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Samsung TV Plus | Samsung | Samsung smart TVs (Tizen), Galaxy | ~14 days | Strong on Samsung hardware; curated, niche-friendly |
Pluto TV | Paramount | Roku, Fire TV, smart TVs, web, mobile | ~14 days | Broad device footprint; many content partners |
The Roku Channel | Roku | Roku devices, web, some smart TVs | ~7 days | Large US Roku install base; linear + on-demand mix |
Do not treat one platform as the whole strategy. Serious channels often pursue several aggregators in parallel, each as its own BD track, while also running owned apps.
What is the realistic timeline to get carried?
Plan for 3 to 6 months from first contact to live on a major FAST platform, sometimes longer. Sequence usually looks like:
Weeks 0–2: prove the channel (stable 24/7 feed, schedule, EPG, rights pack)
Weeks 2–8: outreach and pitching; expect silence and rejections; pitch multiple platforms
Months 2–4: negotiation and contracting (rev share, ad structure, term, exclusivity)
Months 4–6: technical onboarding and QA (feed + EPG ingest, SCTE-35 and failover tests, launch)
The part you control is readiness. Stalls are often unclean rights or a feed that is not broadcast-grade, not “the platform being slow.”
Should you chase carriage, own branded apps, or both?
You should decide the job before you pick a vendor.
Job | Who typically fits | What you get |
|---|---|---|
Own branded FAST + VOD + live in your apps | Revidd (and similar O&O stacks) | Audience relationship, brand, data, monetization mix you control |
Managed third-party FAST carriage onto Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Tubi, etc. | Amagi or Wurl (distribution specialists) | Reach on someone else’s guide under negotiated deals |
Both O&O destination and aggregator reach | Two contracts, two workstreams | Owned apps plus separate carriage BD |
Choose Revidd when: you are a US broadcaster or content owner who needs a branded FAST channel inside your own apps on Roku, Samsung, LG, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Vizio, mobile, and web; you want FAST beside VOD and live; your team is lean; you need Program Manager, EPG, SCTE-35, Rescue Playlist, Ad Filler, and HLS output without standing up an engineering department. Product: FAST channels.
Choose Amagi or Wurl when: board success is defined as slots on third-party FAST guides, and you need a specialist for managed third-party FAST distribution / syndication at enterprise scale. That is their lane. For positioning detail, see Best Amagi alternative for broadcasters and the category map in best FAST channel platforms.
Honest limit: Revidd outputs HLS with SCTE-35 for own branded FAST in your apps. Revidd does not provide managed carriage onto Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, or Tubi. Do not buy Revidd expecting a guaranteed aggregator slot.
What does Revidd actually provide for FAST operators?
Revidd is a plug-and-play OTT and FAST platform for broadcasters. You schedule in a drag-and-drop Program Manager (media, playlists, live), generate EPG, mark breaks with SCTE-35, keep the channel alive with Rescue Playlist failover and Ad Filler for empty ad slots, and publish an HLS URL per channel into your branded apps. Ads run via partners (including SSAI through ad partners). One integration reaches 50+ device endpoints. Branded apps ship in as little as one to two weeks; store review after that is outside any vendor’s control.
Revidd powers streaming that reaches more than 38 million viewers and 5.2 million monthly active audience across 15 countries. Operator patterns: Niche Network TV runs more than 200 linear and restream channels from one console; TrueVi runs multi-channel FAST on the same class of stack; B4Media UK runs worldwide sports with live hours and hybrid monetization on Revidd. Those proofs are channel-ops and owned-destination proofs, not carriage guarantees on Samsung TV Plus, Pluto, or The Roku Channel.
If your next step is an owned branded FAST channel (feed + apps), request a demo. We will walk Program Manager against your library and map a realistic launch path, including store review time. If your mandate is managed aggregator placement this year, shortlist Amagi or Wurl and run a real carriage process.
Conclusion: treat carriage as a deal, owned apps as infrastructure
FAST channel distribution onto Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel is two different jobs that vendors often blur. Job one: win a carriage deal and pass onboarding (BD + rights + clean feed). Job two: run a branded linear channel your audience can find in apps you control. Amagi and Wurl specialize in managed third-party distribution. Revidd specializes in own branded FAST with HLS + SCTE-35 inside your apps, beside VOD and live.
Most serious US broadcasters eventually want both. Just do not confuse them in one RFP, and do not expect an OTT apps vendor to “get you on” curated FAST services by flipping a switch.
Request a demo · Product: FAST channels · Compare: best FAST channel platforms
FAQ
Can I upload my FAST channel to Pluto TV or Roku myself?
No. Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel do not offer self-serve channel upload for carriage. You pitch each platform’s content partnerships team (or work through a distribution specialist) and sign a carriage and revenue-share agreement. Carriage is granted through a deal, not an upload.
Does Revidd get my channel on Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, or The Roku Channel?
No. Revidd does not claim managed carriage onto Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, or Tubi. Revidd supports own branded FAST in your apps with HLS and SCTE-35 tooling. For managed third-party FAST distribution, evaluate specialists such as Amagi or Wurl and run a real carriage process. See Amagi alternative.
How much does it cost to get carried on a FAST platform?
There is usually no public listing fee. The platform takes a share of ad revenue instead. Rev-share splits are negotiated per deal and not published. Your real cost is building and running a broadcast-grade 24/7 channel that meets technical and rights requirements, plus any fees a distribution partner charges if you use one. Revidd does not publish pricing on this page.
Do I need SCTE-35 to get a FAST channel carried?
In practice, yes for monetized linear deals. SCTE-35 markers tell SSAI systems where each ad break is. Without them, clean monetization (and therefore rev share) is hard. A platform-ready feed typically includes SCTE-35 and a machine-readable EPG.
How long does it take to get a FAST channel on Samsung, Pluto, or Roku?
Plan for 3 to 6 months from first contact to launch, sometimes longer. Time goes into pitching, contract negotiation, rights and legal review, and technical onboarding. Having a stable feed ready before you pitch is the biggest factor you control.
Should I run my own branded app or just chase FAST carriage?
Both, if you can. Carriage is reach you rent on platforms you do not control. Owned apps give you a direct audience across major devices with control of brand, data, and monetization mix. Treat aggregator BD as a separate workstream from launching owned FAST. Category map: best FAST channel platforms.
