January & February FAST Highlights: Niche CTV Programming That Drives Engagement

As media buyers and planners build Q1 campaigns and 2026 CTV strategies, FAST channels continue to deliver a powerful combination of scale, efficiency, and audience engagement. Connected TV now reaches over 90% of U.S. households, and FAST viewership continues to grow at a faster pace than traditional linear TV.

Even more compelling for advertisers: genre-specific FAST channels consistently outperform broad entertainment, delivering longer session times and higher ad recall. True crime, paranormal, news, lifestyle, and culturally relevant programming remain among the most-watched categories across FAST platforms.

Below are the January and February highlights across VideoElephant’s owned & operated and managed FAST channels.

Real Crime Uncovered

Happily Never After
Mon – Fri, 9pm ET
For most people, their wedding day ignites dreams of a bright future and the hope of fading into the sunset with the one they love. But for some brides and grooms, the reality of ’til death do you part’ hits come sooner than expected.

Beyond Paranormal

The Basement Office
Mon–Fri, 9:30pm ET
A fact-driven approach to UFO investigations, The Basement Office reflects growing audience demand for credible, evidence-based paranormal storytelling—fueling repeat tune-in and extended viewing sessions.

Travel Escapes

Toque 12
Mon–Fri, 8:30pm ET
Chef Phil Davenport travels across Southeast Asia, exploring modern cuisine through world-class chefs and local stories. Food and travel content consistently delivers brand-safe environments and positive viewer sentiment, ideal for lifestyle and retail advertisers.

USA Today Channel

USA Today News
Every day, 9pm ET
Award-winning journalism covering national and local news, sports, entertainment, finance, and technology—offering advertisers consistent reach in a trusted news environment.

Unleashed by DOGTV

The Adoption Show
A heart-forward series dedicated to showcasing dogs searching for their forever homes. Purpose-driven lifestyle programming continues to attract highly engaged, emotionally connected audiences.

Black Enterprise Channel

The New Norm
Each week, Black Enterprise’s Selena Hill speaks with top leaders and entertainers about culture, business, and impact—delivering culturally relevant conversations in a premium, brand-safe setting.

Why FAST & Niche Genres Matter for Advertisers

Industry research consistently shows:

FAST viewership is growing 40%+ year over year
Genre-focused channels drive up to 2x longer viewing sessions
CTV ad recall exceeds linear TV by more than 40%

For advertisers, this means stronger engagement, better message retention, and more efficient media buys—especially during Q1 and early-year planning windows.

VideoElephant’s FAST portfolio delivers consistent, genre-led programming that keeps audiences coming back and gives advertisers premium environments built for performance.

Kritika Aswani

Director, Content Programming and Planning

Kritika Aswani

Director, Content Programming and Planning

Kritika, is the Channel Director who specializes in managing and launching FAST Channels. With over 10 years in media, she has worked with TV Asia, ZEE TV, and WhistleTV before joining VideoElephant.