FAST Channel Launch Cost Calculator
Last updated October 9, 2026.
The FAST channel launch cost calculator is a free budget tool that adds up your own quotes and staff costs into one-time, monthly and per-channel totals. It has 18 line items across content, channel technology, distribution and advertising, and people. Every amount starts blank. The calculator contains no vendor prices and no benchmarks, so the result is your budget, not an industry guess.
The honest answer to "how much does a FAST channel cost" is that it depends on four things: what your content costs to license and prepare, what you pay for playout and delivery, what distribution and ad operations cost, and who runs the channel. Published ranges are wide because those inputs differ so much from one operator to the next. A local broadcaster with an owned archive and a spare scheduler has a very different budget from a company licensing a new library.
So this tool gives you the structure and leaves the numbers to you. Enter each quote as a one-time cost, a monthly cost, or both. Mark a line as "each channel" and it is multiplied by your channel count. Add a contingency if you want one. You get the total for your budget period, a breakdown by category, and a list of lines you have not costed yet, which is often the most useful part.
The calculator is free to use on this page with no account. To take the result to your finance team as a line-item CSV, a text summary, or a print or PDF copy, we ask for a work email; those downloads are free too. The amounts you type stay in your browser.
Get the downloads free
All the totals are on this page. To take the budget with you as a line-item CSV, a text summary, or a print or PDF copy, we ask for a work email. Enter your work email and the next page opens the same tool with everything switched on. Your budget carries over in your browser.
We ask for a work email in exchange for the downloads. It goes to the Revidd team, who may contact you. Your budget is not sent with it and stays in your browser. See our privacy policy.
How it works
Method. Each line has a one-time amount and a monthly amount. A line set to "each channel" is multiplied by the number of channels. The calculator then works out:
One-time launch costs = sum of all one-time amounts.
Monthly running costs = sum of all monthly amounts.
Period total = one-time costs + (monthly costs x months in your budget period) + contingency.
Contingency = your percentage applied to the period total before contingency.
Per channel = period total divided by channels.
Per library hour = period total divided by the library hours you enter.
Simple payback = one-time costs divided by (your monthly revenue estimate minus monthly costs), rounded up to whole months. Contingency is applied to both costs.
Inputs. Currency, number of channels, budget period in months (starts at 12), optional contingency percent, optional library hours, optional monthly revenue estimate, and an amount for any of the 18 lines. You can rename lines, remove them, or add your own. Amounts accept 12000, 12,000 or 12k.
Limits.
The calculator only adds up what you enter. A missing line makes the total too low, which is why blank lines are listed under the result.
Payback assumes revenue and costs stay flat from the first month. Real channels ramp up, so treat it as a rough check.
There are no taxes, currency conversion or financing costs.
It is not a quote from Revidd or anyone else.
Your budget is saved in your browser only. Clearing site data removes it.
The downloads ask for a work email. The form is separate from the calculator, which never sees your email.
FAQ
How much does it cost to launch a FAST channel?
The cost to launch a FAST channel depends on four groups of spending: content (licensing, encoding, captions, metadata), channel technology (playout, delivery, program guide, apps), distribution and advertising (platform fees, ad operations, marketing, legal), and people. This calculator lists 18 line items across those groups so you can enter your own quotes and see a total.
Does the calculator include typical prices?
No. Every field starts blank and the calculator contains no vendor prices, averages or benchmarks. It only adds up the numbers you enter. That keeps the result tied to your real quotes instead of a published range that may not match your situation.
What costs do people forget when budgeting a FAST channel?
Lines that are easy to miss include captions and subtitles, metadata and artwork, music and clip clearances, program guide data, and the staff time to schedule and check the channel each week. The calculator lists every line you have not costed so you can decide whether each one applies.
How is the per-channel cost calculated?
The per-channel cost is the total for your budget period divided by the number of channels. Lines marked "each channel", such as playout or delivery, are multiplied by your channel count first. Lines marked "whole project", such as staff, are counted once and shared across channels.
How does the payback estimate work?
The payback estimate divides your one-time launch costs by your monthly revenue estimate minus your monthly running costs, then rounds up to whole months. It assumes revenue and costs stay flat from month one. If monthly costs are higher than revenue, the calculator says launch costs are not paid back.
Is my budget saved or sent anywhere?
Your budget is saved in your own browser so it is still there when you come back. It is not sent to Revidd or any server, and you can clear it with one button. The CSV, copy and print options are free in exchange for a work email; that form sends Revidd your email, name and company, never your budget.
Is the calculator free, and why do the downloads ask for an email?
The calculator is free to use on the page with no account: every total, the category breakdown and the list of lines you have not costed are shown as you type. The downloads (CSV, copy summary, and print or PDF) are also free, but they ask for a work email first. The email goes to the Revidd team, who may contact you. Your budget is not sent with it; it stays in your browser.