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In the evolving landscape of broadcast
technology, free ad-supported streaming
television (FAST) is rapidly becoming a fo-
cal point for industry discussions. As part
of our Industry Insights series, this round-
table gathers a diverse group of broadcast
vendors and suppliers to delve into the in-
tegration and implications of FAST within
traditional broadcasting.
This installment explores the shift to-
wards FAST and its implications for tra-
ditional broadcasters, the transformation
of TV viewing habits and the critical role
of partnerships and collaborations in the
industry.
Participants discuss how embracing
FAST is not just an option but a necessity
for broadcasters aiming to remain rele-
vant in an era where audience preferences
lean heavily towards on-demand content.
How do you see traditional
broadcasters, such as local TV stations,
further embracing FAST and streaming?
Medhat Ali, director, VM Cloud: They
have to embrace it to survive. It allows
them to reach a wider audience, adapting
to viewer preferences for on-demand con-
tent. This imperative to adopt the latest de-
livery techniques is driving broadcasters
and content owners to re-engineer their
infrastructures, building platforms on vir-
tualised software which gives the needed
agility to add new delivery services quickly
and easily.
Venugopal Iyengar, COO for digital,
Planetcast: FAST and streaming are of
greatest use to traditional broadcasters
as a means to extend their reach. For in-
stance, many younger viewers exclusively
view content through streaming on mobile
devices, and traditional broadcasters have
the opportunity to entice them by provid-
ing content for their platform of choice.
FAST and streaming can offer a great deal
to local broadcasters. Enabling the su-
per-serving of their audience and offering
monetizable hyper-local OTT services.
John Wastcoat, SVP of business devel-
opment, Zixi: Traditional broadcasters are
under increasing pressure to sustain and
enhance audience engagement, given that
the conventional linear content delivery
method is falling short in capturing the at-
tention of the new generation of viewers.
Beyond traditional distribution channels,
incorporating streaming alternatives and
customizing content to boost engage-
ment are strategies they can adopt to em-
brace change and remain relevant in this
evolving landscape. This requires a shift
towards more flexible and personalized
content delivery approaches to connect
with next generation of viewers.
Paul Briscoe, chief architect, TAG Vid-
eo Systems: In my opinion, FAST is the
thing that can offer the strongest lifeline
to the broadcast industries. Enabling the
retention of their existing broadcast and
revenue models, FAST distribution opens
the door to delivering more streams and
relevant advertising to a new audience de-
mographic.
Anupama Anantharaman, VP of prod-
uct management, Interra: Not only are
broadcasters incorporating over-the-top
(OTT) streaming into their services, but
they are also diversifying their content by
developing more distinctive and unique
programming. And to boost revenues,
they are exploring methods to seamless-
ly integrate advertisements across both
traditional broadcast and OTT streaming
platforms, while investing in data and an-
alytics tools to enhance personalization
and improve the viewing experience.
Dave Dembowski, SVP of global sales,
Operative: Traditional broadcasters will
take time to move completely to stream-
Local broadcasters embracing
FAST and forging new deals
Continued on next page
• Traditional broadcasters must adopt FAST and
streaming to survive, enabling them to reach
a broader audience and adapt to consumer
preferences for on-demand content. This tran-
sition necessitates re-engineering their infra-
structures for agility in launching new delivery
services.
• FAST platforms are altering traditional TV
viewing habits by offering premium content
for free, attracting a growing audience base,
including sports rights holders and cord cut-
ters. This shift reflects a broader industry trend
towards digital-first, consumer-centric media
consumption.
• Partnerships and collaborations are critical in
the FAST industry, relying on advanced tech-
nologies including AI. These alliances enable
the sharing of unique product specialties,
distribution for distinctive content, and sup-
port for ad networks to maximize advertising
revenues.
• The evolution of FAST services is anticipated
to draw in technology vendors with a track
record in delivering broadcast reliability, vid-
eo quality, and an enhanced user experience,
broadening the scope of FAST beyond niche
players and into mainstream adoption.
Key takeaways from roundtable
Traditional broadcasters are under increasing
pressure to sustain and enhance audience
engagement, given that the conventional linear
content delivery method is falling short in capturing
the attention of the new generation of viewers.
ing, but during that transition, they need
to be able to sell products that appeal to
advertisers who also work with pure play
streamers, social giants and more. Tradi-
tional broadcasters are seeing more ad-
vertiser customers who want to buy and
sell in a modern way. This means they
need to offer self-service media buying,
targeting and flexible delivery across their
product catalog.
Greg Morrow, GM of ViewNexa, Bit-
central: One of the most recent develop-
ments we have seen from our customers
is “hyper-local” sports programming such
as high school, junior college, and local
second-tier professional leagues. These
have historically been underserved audi-
ences and are getting increasing amounts
of traffic and creating additional revenue
streams and sponsorship opportunities
for these stations. It is exciting as live lo-
cal content draws huge tune-in times, even
drawing in audiences outside the local
community.
Srini KA, co-founder and CRO, Ama-
gi: We have seen many broadcasters, es-
pecially news, using Amagi products to
launch the same or variant channels in
FAST platforms. We expect this to contin-
ue in sports, news, and local segments in
2024. News channels continue to domi-
nate viewership across geographies with
localized content getting traction in FAST.
In what ways is FAST altering
traditional TV viewing habits?
Ahmed Swidan, director, Ateme: FAST
platforms today offer premium content,
and I expect they will continue to gain
market share in the coming years. Indeed,
FAST is attracting a growing range of play-
ers and viewers: Sports rights holders are
leveraging it to increase their reach, while
many cord cutters are heading to FAST to
watch content.
Yoann Hinard, COO, Witbe: FAST offers
the same comforting feeling as tradition-
al cable TV, with its set schedule and un-
skippable ads. And since it’s being pushed
through most smart TVs and streaming
media boxes, viewers are increasingly
discovering and enjoying it. With many
customers already “cutting-the-cord” and
canceling their cable TV packages, having
a free and easy streaming alternative will
only accelerate that trend.
Paolo Cuttorelli, SVP of global sales,
Evergent: Although the lean-back, ad-
based viewing experience feels distinctly
familiar to traditional linear TV, the growth
of FAST services reflects a broader indus-
try trend towards digital-first, consum-
er-centric media consumption. Viewers
now have access to more varied and niche
content experiences. Consumers have
a much deeper level of control over the
content they choose to watch today, giving
media companies and advertisers a wealth
of actionable, valuable data to tap into.
Paul Calleja, CEO, GlobalM: FAST and
streaming providers are under increas-
ing pressure to offer adaptable and us-
er-friendly features such as on-demand and
personalized content experiences. This
necessitates cloud innovation throughout
the content delivery ecosystem — not just
where content meets the consumer. A net-
work that leverages the cloud for contribu-
tion allows for more flexibility and control
further along the delivery chain.
Gatis Gailis, CEO, Veset: Advertising for
traditional broadcasted content is a sched-
uled break from content, whereas with the
changing landscape of FAST channels,
this no longer has to be the case. FAST
channels are creating an industry where
content is on-demand at all times, viewed
almost entirely by one consumer per one
account with different habits and behav-
iors to other viewers. This industry-shak-
ing alteration in the way that we consume
content has drastically changed viewing
habits, creating a landscape where per-
sonalization, monetization and content
demand is at an all-time high.
Paul Briscoe, chief architect, TAG Vid-
eo Systems: FAST does not necessarily
alter traditional viewing habits, although
OTT inherently offers the ability to pause,
rewind, fast forward, and so on — provid-
ing convenience not natively available
in broadcast. Combined with the ability
to deliver to any platform in appropriate
quality and with a handoff to other devic-
es, this alone offers entirely new ways to
consume.
Thomas Kramer, VP of strategy, Main-
Concept: It is not so much FAST alter-
ing traditional TV viewing habits, more a
change is being seen in streaming viewing
habits. The growth of FAST has led almost
all the major streamers to add ad-sup-
ported options to their platforms. With a
constant stream of content accessed from
anywhere, anytime, the younger genera-
tion are starting to learn the value of the
comfort break, something that tradition-
al TV offered. The choice and availability
FAST platforms afford makes it increas-
ingly attractive to audiences that grew up
watching traditional TV.
Dave Dembowski, SVP of global sales,
Operative: FAST is part of a larger move-
ment of on-demand content that is also
becoming more interactive, with better
targeting than ever. Consumers and ad-
vertisers are embracing these elements,
which they are also used to on web and
mobile channels.
Greg Morrow, GM of ViewNexa, Bitcen-
tral: FAST has changed how we watch TV
because it combines the beauty of tradi-
tional linear broadcasts within the stream-
ing landscape. In today’s market, FAST
channels offer a free alternative to sub-
scription platforms and provide an excel-
lent opportunity to drive revenue on ex-
isting content libraries. We have also seen
an increase in niche channels, including
sports and special interest content; these
channels include pickleball, billiards and
chess to name a few.
Allan Nicholson, head of advertis-
ing solutions, Harmonic: There’s lots
of research out there indicating that in
many households watching large screens
through free-to-air (FTA) broadcast ser-
vices is frequently considered a second-
ary screen activity. As smart TVs and FAST
channels become increasingly prevalent
in connected TV (CTV) settings, the appeal
of FAST as a viewing medium is going to
grow and become more engaging due to
its enhanced ability to target households
and monitor user engagements.
Srini KA, co-founder and CRO, Ama-
gi: FAST is accelerating cord-cutting de-
cisions. With Streaming TV (Smart TV &
devices) getting widely adopted, more au-
diences are getting attracted to FAST. As
more genres enter the market, we expect
the adoption trend to gain further traction.
A survey conducted by Amagi echoed that
61% of viewers don’t mind seeing ads in
case of free good quality content.
How critical are partnerships and
collaborations in the FAST industry?
Josh Pine, CRO, XL8: In the FAST world,
partnerships and collaborations are ab-
solutely critical. No pun intended, but the
FAST world is moving very fast, and is re-
Continued on next page
Continued from previous page
More roundtables in this issue
• Navigating the FAST landscape – chal-
lenges and opportunities for broadcasters
Page 26
• Monetization strategies shaping the FAST
platform landscape Page 9
ROUNDTABLE