NEWSCASTSTUDIO.COM
NEWSCASTSTUDIO.COM
From FAST channels to connected TV
experiences, industry leaders are navi-
gating a rapidly evolving landscape where
traditional boundaries continue to blur.
Streaming continues to alter content
creation, distribution and monetization
– with the topic a key focus of this year’s
NAB Show.
Economic advantages fuel
channel expansion
The financial benefits of streaming dis-
tribution over traditional broadcasting
have become increasingly compelling,
opening doors for niche content provid-
ers who previously couldn’t aford market
entry.
“The economic benefits of streaming
distribution over traditional television
broadcast continues to grow ever stron-
ger. The dramatic reduction in individual
TV channel distribution costs opens the
opportunity for ever diverse and targeted
interest channels including FAST and mi-
nority sports channels,” said Pete Blatch-
ford, chief marketing ofcer at Starfish
Technologies.
“We expect this to grow dramatically
giving viewers unprecedented choice. The
technology to support this growth is now
mature and cost efective,” Blatchford add-
ed.
This accessibility extends beyond es-
tablished media companies to include in-
dependent content creators.
“For content creators, the barriers to
entry continue to fall. Not only are the
means of creation ever more accessible,
it is also now even easier to push content
out to global audiences and earn direct
revenues,” said James Gilbert, vice presi-
dent of sales and marketing at Pixel Power,
a Rohde & Schwarz company.
This is reflected in data from YouTube,
which continues to show younger audi-
ences switching to the platform and skip-
ping traditional TV.
FAST continues to be favorite
Free ad-supported streaming televi-
sion (FAST) continues to be a major fo-
cus for broadcasters and content owners
looking to maximize content libraries
while reaching new audiences.
Gilbert highlighted two primary roles
for FAST channels: “exploiting existing
catalogues to extend revenues, and to
provide a platform for niche content –
like lower tier or more unusual sports – to
reach the audiences which were previ-
ously cost-prohibitive.”
The ability to launch quickly remains
crucial for FAST providers.
“Proposers of FAST channels see speed
to market as a critical factor, and they de-
mand software-defined playout platforms
that can be defined, planned, populated
and on air in days, even with complex
multi-regional, multi-language require-
ments,” Gilbert added.
This agility also enables pop-up chan-
nels for specific events. Gilbert predicts
that “The Winter Olympics in early 2026
might see some rights-holders establish-
ing pop-up FAST services to provide com-
prehensive coverage: The Biathlon Chan-
nel, for example.”
Despite the growth, there are ques-
tions about the long-term viability of the
Streaming innovations, solutions
continue to boost content creators
Continued on next page
We expect this to grow
dramatically giving
viewers unprecedented
choice. The technology
to support this growth
is now mature and cost
efective.
STREAMING
NAB PREVIEW