What happens when millions of viewers begin moving away from expensive streaming subscriptions and toward free, ad-supported entertainment?
In this episode of the Super Entrepreneurs Podcast, Shahid Durrani sits down with Vikrant Mathur, Founder and CEO of Future Today, one of the pioneers in the FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) industry. With more than 120 million app downloads across platforms including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung, LG, and Android TV, Vikrant has spent nearly two decades helping shape the future of digital television.
The conversation explores why subscription fatigue is creating new opportunities, how creators can launch their own streaming channels, the business behind FAST television, and what AI means for the future of entertainment. Vikrant also shares lessons from navigating industry disruptions, building through uncertainty, and identifying opportunities long before they become mainstream.
Whether you're a content creator, entrepreneur, investor, or simply fascinated by where media is heading, this episode offers a thoughtful look at one of the fastest-growing areas of digital entertainment.
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Episode Highlights
Streaming has changed dramatically over the past decade, but according to Vikrant Mathur, we're only at the beginning of another major shift. In this conversation, he explains why free ad-supported streaming (FAST) is attracting both viewers and advertisers, how Future Today grew into one of the largest independent streaming platforms, and why creators have more opportunities than ever before.
Vikrant also shares the difficult period that almost ended the business, how losing most of their Google traffic forced them to rethink everything, and why that setback ultimately became the catalyst for building the company they have today.
The discussion also explores AI-generated content, viewer behavior, content discovery, niche programming, and practical advice for anyone thinking about launching their own streaming channel.
Chapter Stamps
00:00 Welcome to the Super Entrepreneurs Podcast
01:20 Meet Vikrant Mathur and the story behind Future Today
03:10 Building one of the largest free streaming platforms
06:30 Why Future Today chose free streaming over subscriptions
10:50 What Netflix eventually realized about advertising
13:10 Losing 85% of the company's traffic—and surviving it
18:00 The biggest entrepreneurial lesson from nearly failing
20:45 Why viewers are moving away from paid subscriptions
27:50 Subscription fatigue and the future of streaming
28:50 What advertisers gain from FAST platforms
33:00 Why advertising dollars are moving to streaming creators
35:30 AI-generated entertainment and the future of Hollywood
43:55 What FAST TV actually means
48:10 How creators can launch their own FAST channels
52:10 Discoverability: the biggest challenge after launching
57:00 What separates successful streaming channels from failed ones
1:00:10 Surprising viewer habits across different content categories
1:03:20 The first 90 days after launching a FAST channel
1:07:20 Original content vs licensed content
1:09:00 Untapped opportunities in streaming today
1:13:00 Why general entertainment is becoming overcrowded
1:14:00 The Baby Shark phenomenon explained
1:16:50 Future Today's scale and final entrepreneurial advice
Pullout Quotes:
"As an entrepreneur, you can't give up. You just have to keep powering through it."
"You have to be agile, you have to be open-minded."
"YouTube democratized distribution. What AI is doing is it's democratizing production."
"There is a market for every type of content."
"The biggest value proposition for advertisers is the incremental reach that we can provide."
Social
Website:
https://futuretodayinc.com/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikrantm
Disclaimer
Please be aware that the opinions and perspectives conveyed in this podcast are solely those of our guests and do not necessarily represent the views, ideologies, or principles of Super Entrepreneurs Podcast, its associated entities, or any organizations they represent or are affiliated with. We provide a platform for discussion and exploration, and the content of each episode is understood to be independent expressions from our guests, rather than a reflection of the beliefs held by the podcast or its hosts.
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