Frequency powers 160+ FAST news channels, targets 100,000 live events in 2026

Frequency used NAB 2026 to announce enhanced Frequency Studio services, including automated scheduling, live-workflow management, and AI-driven channel optimization. The company currently powers more than 160 local FAST news channels in major US DMAs, reaching nearly 60% of US TV households across a streaming footprint exceeding 70 million homes. The company expects to support over 100,000 live events in 2026, spanning daily newscasts and breaking news activations.

The announcements represent an operational maturity push for FAST channel management: the focus is no longer on launching channels but on running them profitably at scale. Automated scheduling and AI-driven optimization address the labor costs that have made FAST channel operations economically marginal for some local broadcasters, particularly as the number of channels requiring management grows.

"Streaming television is entering a new phase, where profitability will come from automated operations, improved monetization, and intelligence embedded across the entire platform," said Blair Harrison, CEO and founder of Frequency. The company's scale in local news FAST gives it visibility into the operational patterns of a segment of the market that remains underserved by infrastructure designed primarily for national or premium streaming deployments.