Samsung TV Plus is turning digital creators into scheduled, ad-supported television channels across eight markets. The free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service, built into Samsung Smart TVs, is launching new local channels in the UK and five Asia-Pacific countries while taking an existing science-creator channel into Brazil and Mexico.
That is a meaningful scaling signal for creator-led FAST. Samsung is betting that a podcast, a food-travel brand or a science format can hold a place in the TV guide, not just in the social algorithm.
The new lineup
In the UK, Samsung TV Plus is working with 208 Studios to launch three channels: Happy Place, built from Fearne Cotton’s podcast; Golf Life, from Tubes, Ange and Jimmy Bullard; and JOE Media, the millennial-focused news and entertainment brand.
Across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, the platform has added Luke Nguyen’s World. Samsung describes it as a “first-to-FAST” channel, with more than 95 episodes across nine series from the Australian-Vietnamese chef, restaurateur and TV presenter.
Mark Rober TV has expanded into Brazil and Mexico. The 24-hour channel carries dubbed programming from the former NASA engineer and science creator, whose combined social following exceeds 79 million.
Why it matters for media buyers
These channels sit at the intersection of social video and connected TV. A creator with loyal, repeat audiences becomes a linear-style channel with ad breaks, placed inside the home screen where viewers already choose what to watch. For advertisers, that means new ad-supported CTV inventory tied to specific fandoms and formats, in local languages and local markets.
- Creator IP is being packaged as scheduled programming, not just a catch-up library.
- Local titles and dubbed global formats show a regional strategy, not a single global feed.
- Samsung TV Plus reports more than 100 million monthly active users worldwide.
What to watch next
Samsung TV Plus already carries channels from Dhar Mann, Michelle Khare, The Try Guys and Smosh. The new expansion adds geographic depth: local talent for local relevance, and a global science brand that can be dubbed for Latin America.
“The Creator economy is no longer a trend – it’s a global phenomenon that’s reshaping how audiences discover and engage with content,” said Salek Brodsky, senior VP and global head of Samsung TV Plus.
The media question is measurement. Social reach is an audience-development signal, but ads are bought on viewing behaviour. Media planners should ask for market-level reach, frequency, completion and incremental reach before treating creator-led FAST as premium CTV inventory.
Source: C21media
