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ment and make FAST channels more prof-
itable, it is absolutely crucial to focus on
improving the viewing experience.
FAST reimagined
Rather than simply replicating the ca-
ble linear experience where all viewers
of a channel are served the same content,
FAST needs to evolve so that viewers are
served curated channels as well as per-
sonalized in-channel programming. The
depth of curation must go much further
than simply serving an action movies fan
a FAST channel that shows the most pop-
ular movies in that genre, or serving a
snowboarding fan a winter sports chan-
nel. In practice, this could mean that FAST
providers curate channels based on differ-
ent metrics, like preferences, sentiment,
actors, sub-genres, as well as many other
metrics. A fan of Sylvester Stallone does
not need to watch Arnold just because he
likes action movies, just as a snowboard-
ing enthusiast shouldn’t have to watch
off-piste skiing content mixed with snow-
boarding.
What’s important here is the depth of
curation that can be done, and needs to be
done to elevate FAST. As you may imagine,
this model would be very costly to run,
with individualized playouts and curation
per viewer. The model needs to adopt the
same segmentation and cohort logic that
we use in a VOD scenario today for per-
sonalization. This is not currently happen-
ing because FAST channel providers are
working off their own content catalog and
not doing enough
syndication
and
collaboration. This
needs to change
because most FAST
channels are oper-
ated by smaller out-
fits that do not hold
a vast catalog.
Data is the
driving force
By carefully cu-
rating channels and selecting and organiz-
ing content within them, FAST providers
can ensure that content aligns with view-
ers preferences and needs. To get this
right, it’s important to gauge user interests
right at the start of the experience, when
onboarding. This will help to create a more
enjoyable viewing experience, which in
turn will improve engagement. However,
none of this is possible without access to
the right data, as well as the skills required
to turn data into actionable insights.
Data is a key enabler that will allow
FAST service providers to better engage
their audience and improve the key met-
rics for the FAST business model: viewing
hours and advertising revenue. Providers
need to invest in ro-
bust data collection
and analysis mech-
anisms
to
under-
stand user behavior,
preferences,
and
engagement
pat-
terns. Metadata also
plays a critical role
in
enabling
effec-
tive personalization
because if content
is not tagged appro-
priately, it won’t be
possible to connect
users with the right
content that match-
es their habits and
tastes. With enough
of the right data at
their disposal, pro-
viders can personal-
ize channel as well as in-channel content
curation, which together will lead to an
improved
viewer
experience and in-
creased revenue.
To
maximize
the
monetization
potential of FAST
channels,
provid-
ers also need to get
better at contextual
advertising by le-
veraging available
data and enabling
ad bidding on the
fly. To serve ads that are aligned with the
content being viewed, providers need a
deep understanding of both the content
and the viewer. This will enable them to
deliver a much more immersive and rel-
evant advertising experience for users,
which will help increase ad-revenue.
Realizing FAST’s potential
While FAST is undoubtedly making
waves in the video industry, its true po-
tential in terms of monetization is yet to
be fully realized. To increase engagement
and ad-revenue, providers need to deliver
a first-rate user experience. Delivery of
a cable-like linear experience where the
same
channels
and programming
are served to all
viewers, will soon
become a thing
of the past in the
OTT space. We’re
currently
seeing
a lot of innovation
around FAST, and
as the industry
continues
down
the hybrid mon-
etization
route,
there is a strong
possibility
that
FAST will become
an important part
of the OTT mon-
etization strategy.
But for FAST to thrive in the long run, it
needs a far deeper level of in-channel cu-
ration, better-curated catalogs and more
cross-channel curation for the viewers.
As Head of Product Sales and Market-
ing, Markus Hejdenberg is responsible for
the sales and marketing strategy for Acce-
do One, the company’s cloud platform for
creating, delivering, and monetizing video
experiences.
Having previously been Head of Product
at Accedo, Markus has a good understand-
ing of the solution, the challenges faced
by customers, and the product roadmap.
Markus has extensive experience initiat-
ing and managing commercial companies
in various sectors of the entertainment
industry. Prior to joining Accedo in 2014,
Markus was CEO for a startup company
offering streaming services for iOS, An-
droid, and web.
Continued from previous page
This discussion delves into the intrica-
cies of advertising trends, monetization
models and the long-term viability of FAST
platforms.
Experts across the broadcast sector
weigh in on the shift towards streaming
advertising models, the significance of
ad personalization, and the innovative
strategies enabling more effective view-
er engagement. As the FAST landscape
continues to mature, understanding these
dynamics is crucial for stakeholders look-
ing to navigate the complexities of digital
broadcasting and advertising.
What are the evolving trends in
advertising within FAST platforms?
Yoann Hinard, COO, Witbe: While ad
personalization is undoubtedly important,
attempting to do it for each individual user
may be impractical. Ad personalization by
population is progressing alongside the
per-user targeting, which helps FAST pro-
viders scale successfully.
Paolo Cuttorelli, SVP of global sales,
Evergent: We’re seeing a shift away from
linear, traditional advertising toward a
streaming advertising model in which the
household TV is serving as a portal into
streaming services. Leveraging advanced
user data, such as viewing habits and plat-
form transactions, means that media com-
panies can enable more relevant, target-
ed advertising experiences. This not only
enhances viewer engagement but also in-
creases the value proposition for advertis-
ers seeking more effective ways to reach
TV audiences.
Gatis Gailis, CEO, Veset: Solutions such
as in-video ad-insertion, and personalized,
targeted ads among others allows for ad-
vertising to complement the development
of FAST channels. As a result, advertising
spaces in FAST channels are becoming
more valuable in association with the con-
tent being broadcast. In this new era of
FAST advertising, monetization hails as
king with consumer habits dominating the
ad landscape, relying on changing con-
sumer behaviour to deliver successful and
well-received advertisements.
Anupama Anantharaman, VP of product
management, Interra: The FAST landscape
is characterized by a focus on innovation in
ad insertion, delivery, and measurement.
As a result, there is a rising emphasis on
tools that offer ad analytics, targeted adver-
tisements, and technologies that enhance
the efficiency of targeted and dynamic ad
insertion processes. These trends under-
score a dynamic shift towards personalized
and data-driven advertising strategies with-
in FAST platforms.
Thomas Kramer, VP of strategy, Main-
Concept: With the growth of FAST chan-
nels, providers are experimenting with the
best and least intrusive ways to deliver ads
that, like the content, are personalized to
the viewer. The potential of targeting ads
to the viewer depends on several factors;
how they are delivered (server-side ad
insertion versus client-side ad insertion),
the type of personal information available,
and the variety of ads. Other trends such
as AI used for content search is likely to be
increasingly used in ad insertion and how
the ads feature alongside the content to
minimize interrupted viewing.
Dave Dembowski, SVP of global sales,
Operative: Because FAST is digital, it can
be bought and sold programmatically, sup-
port interactivity, and enable enhanced
targeting. All of these trends are new on
FAST but well established on other digital
channels. We will see FAST adapt to these
trends and likely evolve further — perhaps
enabling things like social shopping right
in the app on TV.
Srini KA, co-founder and CRO, Amagi:
Contextual targeting especially powered
by enriched metadata is being well adopt-
ed in downstream adtech ecosystem. Such
metadata passback by an SSAI provider
can improve the CPM for FAST channels.
A recent survey by XUMO & FASTMaster
also echoes increased interest from ad
buyers for FAST inventory. Innovative ad
formats such as overlays, and in-content
ads are being tested.
What monetization models are proving
most successful for FAST platforms?
Medhat Ali, director, VM Cloud: By defi-
nition, FAST is primarily advertising-fund-
ed, but that can and should include closely
targeted advertising. What is important is
that FAST channels as part of a broader
broadcast and streaming operation must
harden advertising rates, and offer the
same protected, curated commercial en-
vironment as legacy channels. FAST also
gives operators opportunities for partner-
ships with content creators, and bundling
it with other services.
Venugopal Iyengar, COO for digital,
Planetcast: One of the best uses of FAST
that we’ve seen has been to use it as a plat-
form for expanding international reach.
India is extremely prolific across film and
TV, and a lot of its growing international
popularity can be attributed to the avail-
ability of FAST. New content offerings
have a better chance of gaining traction
when they’re free, and media companies
are making full use of this to expand their
global reach and monetization.
Monetization strategies shaping
the FAST platform landscape
Continued on next page
• Ad personalization and data-driven targeting
are increasing, allowing more relevant, less
disruptive ads on FAST platforms.
• Partnerships with content creators and bun-
dling with other services provide opportunities
to harden ad rates and grow audiences.
• Flexible monetization models like content syn-
dication and ad revenue sharing help media
companies capitalize on their libraries.
• Maintaining engagement via personalized ex-
periences and niche content is key to FAST’s
viability alongside advertiser interest.
• Evolution of platform-as-a-service models will
likely broaden FAST services as premium con-
tent providers embrace it.
Key takeaways from roundtable
ROUNDTABLE
47%
of U.S. households use a
FAST service
120M
of U.S. households have
at least on VoD service,
which is
93%
of households
Data is a key enabler that will allow FAST service
providers to better engage their audience and
improve the key metrics for the FAST business model:
viewing hours and advertising revenue.