October 2026 | By Sampath Mallidi, CEO of Revidd
To start a TV network online, you need four things: programming you have the rights to stream, a 24/7 channel built from a schedule with a program guide (EPG), apps or services where viewers watch, and a way to earn money from subscriptions or ad breaks. You don't need a broadcast tower.
TL;DR: An online TV network is a 24/7 linear channel plus on-demand and live programming, delivered in your own branded apps and, if you want extra reach, on third-party FAST services. Start with what you own the rights to air. Build the schedule and program guide. Launch apps on the TV platforms your viewers use. Then add ad breaks, subscriptions or both. With Revidd, branded apps can be ready in as little as 1 to 2 weeks, plus app store review, which Revidd doesn't control.
This guide is for station managers, faith and diaspora network founders, sports rights holders and content owners with a library who want to run a channel under their own brand. It walks through six steps, the routes to viewers, the cost lines to budget for and when Revidd is not the right fit.
What does it take to start a TV network online?
An online TV network needs rights-cleared programming, a 24/7 schedule with a program guide, playback on the screens your viewers use, and a revenue model. Everything else, from branding to marketing, sits on top of those four parts.
The big difference from traditional TV is the starting line. Online, you don't begin with a tower, a transmitter or a cable carriage deal. You begin with a library, a schedule and apps. Viewers find your network on their smart TV, streaming stick, phone or browser, the same way they find any other streaming channel.
That lowers the barrier, but it doesn't remove the work. Programming, scheduling and getting into the right apps still decide whether people watch.
What is the difference between a TV channel, a TV network and a streaming service?
A TV channel is one 24/7 linear feed. A TV network is the brand that runs one or more channels, usually with on-demand and live programming alongside. A streaming service is an on-demand library that viewers browse and pick from.
Term | What it is | How viewers watch | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
TV channel | One 24/7 linear feed that plays a schedule | They tune in and watch what is on now, with a program guide | A schedule, playout and a program guide |
TV network | A brand running one or more channels plus on-demand and live programming | They tune in to a channel, browse a library or join a live event | Channels, a media library, live, apps and a revenue model |
Streaming service | An on-demand library | They search or browse and press play | A media library, apps and a revenue model |
Most new online networks start with one channel and a library, then add channels and live events as the schedule fills up.
Step 1: What programming do you need before you launch?
Start with what you own or have cleared for streaming in each country you plan to reach. Streaming rights are often separate from broadcast rights, so check every contract for the territories, devices and time windows it allows.
How many hours you need depends on how often you are willing to repeat programs. For FAST distribution, Wurl's Global FAST Pass FAQ says: "To launch a FAST channel, you'll typically need at least 200 hours of video content to support a 24/7 programming schedule" (wurl.com, checked October 21, 2026). Treat that as a distribution baseline from Wurl, not a fixed rule. Count only the hours you have cleared to stream.
Sort the library before you schedule anything:
Group programs by series, genre and audience, so blocks are easy to build.
Note episode lengths, so programs fit time slots with room for breaks.
Flag anything with rights that end soon or that can't stream in some countries.
List the gaps a 24/7 channel will expose, such as overnight hours or weekends.
The free Content Library Analyzer helps you size the library before you plan the schedule. If your starting point is an archive, see how to turn your video library into a FAST channel.
Step 2: How do you build a 24/7 schedule and program guide?
A 24/7 schedule is a grid of programs arranged into blocks and dayparts, with planned repeats and a backup for gaps. The program guide (EPG) is built from that schedule, so viewers can see what is on now and next in every app.
Build it in this order:
Set dayparts first: morning, daytime, prime time and overnight, in your audience's time zone.
Fill each daypart with blocks of related programs, such as a series run or a themed hour.
Plan repeats on purpose. A good repeat pattern makes a small library feel full.
Leave room for ad breaks if the channel is ad-supported.
Set a backup playlist that plays if a scheduled program fails or ends early.
Publish the guide and check that it matches what actually plays.
In Revidd, you build 24/7 schedules in the FAST Program Manager, every channel gets a program guide in your apps, and a Rescue Playlist plays backup content if scheduled content fails. See 24/7 scheduling and program guide tools, or read how to program a FAST channel for a deeper scheduling walkthrough.
Step 3: Where will viewers watch: your own apps, FAST services or both?
There are two routes to viewers. Your own branded apps put the network on Roku, Samsung, LG, Vizio, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, web and mobile under your name. Third-party FAST services such as Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel and Tubi can carry your channel inside their lineup, but each one takes a separate deal.
Route | What you control | What it takes | Who does it |
|---|---|---|---|
Your own branded apps (Roku, Samsung, LG, Vizio, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, web, mobile) | Brand, schedule, ads or subscriptions, and the viewer relationship | A platform that builds the apps, plus each store's review | Revidd builds the apps; you don't need an engineering team |
Third-party FAST services (Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Tubi) | Your channel feed and schedule; the service controls its own lineup | A separate deal with each service, a 24/7 HLS feed with SCTE-35 markers and a program guide | Distribution specialists such as Amagi and Wurl; Revidd provides HLS with SCTE-35 markers for your ad partners |
Both | The most reach | Both of the above | A common path: your own apps first, then carriage |
Running branded FAST channels in your own apps is Revidd's job. Getting carried on Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel or Tubi is a separate agreement with each service, and Revidd doesn't place channels on those services. Amagi and Wurl specialize in that managed third-party FAST distribution. To see how those deals work, read how FAST carriage on Roku and Samsung works.
See your library as a 24/7 channel in your own apps. Request a demo.
Step 4: How do you add on-demand and live next to the channel?
A network is more than a loop. Viewers expect to catch up on what they missed, browse a library and join live events, so plan on-demand and live alongside the channel from the start.
On-demand: organize the library as movies, episodes, seasons, series and collections, with subtitles and multiple audio tracks where you have them.
Catch-up: let viewers watch recent programs after they air.
Live: schedule games, newscasts, services or studio shows as live blocks inside the 24/7 channel, or as standalone live events.
Revidd runs on-demand, live and 24/7 FAST channels in one platform, from one CMS. The Live Calendar shows live events and 24/7 blocks on one calendar, so the live schedule and the linear schedule don't drift apart. For the details of live blocks, padding and overruns, see how to add live events to a 24/7 channel.
Revidd powers streaming that reaches more than 38 million viewers across 15 countries.
Step 5: How will the network make money?
Most online networks earn money from subscriptions, ads or both. Pick the model that fits your audience and programming, and know that you can mix models across channels and the library.
Subscriptions (SVOD): viewers pay a recurring fee for access.
Ad-supported (AVOD and FAST): viewing is free, and ad breaks pay for it.
Transactional (TVOD) and pay-per-view: viewers pay for a single title or event.
Hybrid: for example, a free ad-supported channel with a paid on-demand library.
For ad-supported channels, Revidd puts SCTE-35 markers for your ad partners into the stream. Your ad partner sells and fills the breaks under its own terms, and ad filler covers break time that isn't filled. See subscriptions, ads and pay-per-view options in Revidd.
Step 6: How long does it take to launch?
With Revidd, branded apps can be ready in as little as 1 to 2 weeks, plus app store review, which Revidd doesn't control. Each store publishes its own review timelines:
Apple: App Review is "typically reviewing at least 50% of submissions in less than 24 hours and 90% in less than 48 hours" (Apple Developer, checked October 21, 2026).
Roku: if additional certification testing is required, "you should expect to receive feedback on your app within a week following submission" (Roku Developer, checked October 21, 2026).
Google Play: certain apps "may be subject to extended reviews, which may result in review times of up to 7 days or longer in exceptional cases" (Play Console Help, checked October 21, 2026).
The apps are rarely the slowest part. Clearing rights and building a schedule you are proud of usually take longer, so start both before you pick a launch date. Plan the branded TV and mobile apps once you know which screens your audience uses most.
How much does it cost to start a TV network online?
The cost to start a TV network online depends on programming rights, the platform, the number of apps, delivery and the team you need. Each line has a different owner who sets the price, so budget line by line and ask every vendor for a written quote on your exact scope.
Cost line | Who sets the price | Where to estimate |
|---|---|---|
Programming rights or production | Rights holders, or your own studio | Your contracts |
Platform: library, scheduling, program guide, playout | Platform vendor | A written quote on your scope |
TV and mobile apps | Platform vendor; each store sets its own developer program terms | Vendor quote plus each store's developer pages |
Delivery (streaming to viewers) | Platform vendor or CDN | Ask how it is billed as viewing grows |
Ad sales and fill | Your ad partner | Your ad partner contract |
Third-party FAST carriage | Each service or distributor | Distributor terms |
People: programming, operations, marketing | You | Your team plan |
To build your own budget, start with the free FAST channel launch cost calculator. Every field starts blank, so the numbers are yours. For more detail, read what a FAST channel costs, line by line, and compare the cost of building an OTT platform yourself.
What if you already run a TV station?
If you already run a broadcast station, you aren't starting a network from scratch. You are adding streaming to programming, rights and an audience you already have. The questions shift to simulcasting your signal, putting local news and shows on demand, and picking a vendor that runs apps and channels without an in-house engineering team. Our guide to choosing an OTT platform for TV stations covers that path.
When is Revidd not the right fit?
Revidd is built for broadcasters and content owners who want a 24/7 channel, on-demand and live in their own branded apps. It is not the right fit in these cases:
You only want carriage on third-party FAST services, with no apps of your own. Look at distribution specialists such as Amagi or Wurl.
You are a solo creator selling courses or memberships. Creator tools built for that model fit better.
You need over-the-air or cable carriage. That is a broadcast and distribution project, not a streaming platform choice.
Frequently asked questions
Can you start your own TV network online?
Yes. You need rights to the programming, a scheduled 24/7 channel with a program guide, apps or services where viewers watch, and a revenue model. You don't need a tower or a cable deal to begin.
What is the difference between a TV channel and a TV network?
A channel is one linear feed. A network is the brand that runs one or more channels, often with on-demand and live programming alongside.
How many hours of programming do you need to start?
It depends on how often you are willing to repeat. For FAST distribution, Wurl says you "typically need at least 200 hours of video content to support a 24/7 programming schedule" (wurl.com, checked October 21, 2026). Count only hours you have cleared to stream.
How much does it cost to start a TV network online?
It depends on programming rights, the platform, the number of apps, delivery and staff. Ask each vendor for a written quote on your exact scope, and use the free FAST channel launch cost calculator to build your own budget.
Can my network be on Roku, Samsung TV Plus or Pluto TV?
Your own branded app can be on Roku, Samsung, LG, Vizio, Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV, subject to each store's review. Getting carried on Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel or Tubi takes a separate deal with each service. Companies such as Amagi and Wurl specialize in that distribution.
How long does it take to launch an online TV network?
With Revidd, branded apps can be ready in as little as 1 to 2 weeks, plus app store review, which Revidd doesn't control. Rights clearance and building the schedule usually take longer than the apps.
Bring a week of your schedule and we will show it as a 24/7 channel in your own apps. Request a demo.
