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Greg Morrow, GM of ViewNexa, Bitcen-
tral: As the market continues to converge,
we will see more monetization opportuni-
ties. The media companies that can take
advantage of flexible business models for
FAST channels, such as content syndica-
tion, ad revenue, or inventory share, will
be the most successful. To make these
models possible, media companies need
to integrate the right technology that will
give them the capabilities and flexibility to
utilize their content libraries in this way to
fuel revenue streams that were previously
out of their reach.
How are FAST platforms leveraging
personalization to enhance viewer
experience?
Ahmed Swidan, director, Ateme: With
the same content available on several
FAST platforms, the focus for differentia-
tion is now on innovative features such as
personalization. FAST platforms can col-
lect a wealth of first-party data and use it to
personalize both the service offering and
the way content is presented to viewers.
The ultimate personalization is personal
FAST channels.
Yoann Hinard, COO, Witbe: FAST chan-
nels personalize ads to the viewer’s pref-
erences, which is nothing new. However,
they also personalize ad pod sequences —
and their frequency — based on the chan-
nel a viewer was previously watching, not
just the one they’re currently on. This tech-
nology delivers a major advantage over
the legacy broadcasting approach (which
FAST is invoking) by reducing viewer fa-
tigue and maintaining high engagement.
Olivier
Karra,
marketing
director,
Broadpeak: Streaming content that us-
ers like and is available at all times is a
key factor to boost quality of experience.
Today, virtual channels with an unlimited
number of audiences and variants are le-
veraging dynamic schedules provisioned
with recommendation engine technology
to enable cost-effective personalization at
scale. Ultimately, providing a personalized
FAST channel service is going to be a game
changer for the most advanced streaming
platforms.
John Watcoat, SVP of business devel-
opment, Zixi: FAST platforms are utilizing
IP delivery, driven by user metadata, as a
foundational element to provide person-
alized content. Additionally, the introduc-
tion of innovative technologies like HTML
graphics overlays and direct-to-player
overlays enhances the overall user ex-
perience, creating possibilities for new
approaches in delivering ads, interactive
experiences, and opportunities related to
betting. This marks a significant evolution
in content delivery methods, allowing for
a more tailored and engaging viewing ex-
perience.
Thomas Kramer, VP of strategy, Main-
Concept: With many FAST platforms, it is
not necessary for the viewer to login or
even enter personal data. While this is po-
tentially attractive to the viewer, for ven-
dors it reduces the data they have access
to, and so personalization is limited to a
viewer’s IP location or browser history.
For users that are willing to share person-
al data or even create an account with a
FAST channel they open a world of per-
sonalization and enhanced features from
storing favorites to reacting to viewed
content, all of which gives the platform
much more data to leverage personaliza-
tion to enhance viewer experience.
Dave Dembowski, SVP of global sales,
Operative: For advertisers, personaliza-
tion is about delivering the right message
to the right audience, and FAST enables
that with targeting and dynamic ad inser-
tion. On a FAST channel, advertisers can
target audience segments and then use
household-level or even app-user level
data to send a relevant advertisement.
Rick Young, SVP and head of global
products, LTN: We all know that ads can
be programmatically inserted to reach
very individual viewers once they are con-
suming a channel. The trick is to attract
those consumers in the first place. We are
seeing personalization on FAST channels
mainly focused on delivering city, regional
or country specific like programming like
news and sports.
Srini KA, co-founder and CRO, Amagi:
An SVOD-like experience is being exper-
imented with by different FAST platforms
to surface the right channels based on the
audience profile. While we are starting
to see profile management in FAST plat-
forms, Amagi has been at the forefront of
partnering with FAST platforms in person-
alizing viewer experience with capabili-
ties such as personalized channel line-up,
AI-generated channel content based on
viewing interests, and less-obtrusive tar-
geted ads such as in-content advertising.
Is the FAST business model sustainable
in the long term?
Olivier
Karra,
marketing
director,
Broadpeak: For challenging markets with
limited audiences, cost reduction is a mat-
ter of survival. Leveraging new and cost-ef-
fective ways to generate FAST channels
will be essential. We see cost-cutting tech-
nologies such as virtual channel playout
and automated schedule generation gain-
ing significant momentum this year.
Paolo Cuttorelli, SVP of global sales,
Evergent: The long-term viability of the
FAST model hinges on its ability to contin-
uously attract and monetize viewers while
maintaining advertiser interest. Media and
sports brands are responding to this chal-
lenge by offering a diverse range of niche
content for dedicated audiences that make
up a compelling proposition for advertis-
ers. Consumers will always be interested
in free-to-access, relevant content — the
challenge is keeping them engaged with
personalized, intuitive experiences that
unlock wider monetization avenues.
Paul Briscoe, chief architect, TAG Vid-
eo Systems: FAST is sustainable as long as
the model of scheduled linear program-
ming with interstitial advertising remains
healthy. Whether this is likely remains
unclear, there is definitely a legacy au-
dience with an expectation of this mode
of consumption, but the under-50s and
below mostly understand that TV can be
so much more thanks to the internet and
OTT. Whether this audience evolves to the
traditional linear viewing model will drive
the revenue needed for long-term viability.
Allan Nicholson, head of advertising
solutions, Harmonic: At Harmonic, we an-
ticipate the evolution of current platform
as a service (PaaS) models as an increas-
ing number of premium content providers
embrace FAST as their preferred delivery
method. These content owners are con-
fident in their ability to maximize con-
tent monetization by drawing on insights
gained from past broadcast experiences.
This shift will broaden FAST services be-
yond a limited number of niche players
and draw in technology vendors that have
a proven track record in delivering broad-
cast reliability, video quality, and an en-
hanced user experience through stream-
ing services for tier-one platforms.
Continued from previous page
More roundtables in this issue
• Navigating the FAST landscape – chal-
lenges and opportunities for broadcasters
Page 26
• Local broadcasters embracing FAST and
forging new partnerships Page 18
By DAK DILLON
Editor in Chief
NewscastStudio
The streaming television landscape
has undergone a seismic shift in the past
few years. What was once a sparse field
of niche services
has evolved into
an oversaturated
market
teeming
with both general
entertainment and
specialized
plat-
forms.
However,
behind the breath-
less hype cycles
and endless flow
of new streaming
options lies a ma-
turing
industry
shaped as much
by audience preferences as by provider
priorities.
Recent research illuminates emerging
trends in consumer behaviors that reflect
and inform key developments on the pro-
vider side.
Today’s audiences seek greater con-
trol over their streaming experiences,
including options for ad-supported con-
tent, unified access across services, and
integration with larg-
er brand ecosystems.
Meanwhile, providers
walk the tightrope of
appealing to diverse
demographics amidst a
saturating market.
As the straming in-
dustry’s
growth
sta-
bilizes,
consumer
attitudes and behav-
iors will likely contin-
ue steering its future
direction. Recent findings on audience
preferences and platform strategies pro-
vide crucial context for understanding
this evolving ecosystem. So let’s dive into
some of the data.
Illusion of choice: Saturation and
streaming fatigue
Amidst the proliferation of streaming
platforms, research reveals consumers
feel increasingly over-
whelmed by choice.
According to Kantar,
the U.S. streaming mar-
ket is reaching near-to-
tal saturation, with 95%
of
American
house-
holds subscribing to at
least one service. How-
ever, this breadth of op-
tions has bred dissat-
isfaction. Per Amdocs,
82% of Americans want
a unified streaming portal offering simpli-
fied access to content across services, ev-
ANALYSIS
Today’s viewers crave streaming
simplicity, not more fragmentation
Continued on next page
DILLON
Consumers confused by cluttered streaming
landscape, feel overwhelemed by choices
82%
Of consumers want
a unified streaming
portal