Stephen Byrne RTL AdAlliance VP partnership development
Can you name the key impacts of FAST’s recent growth in media and entertainment? For viewers looking for free content and that don’t want to be tied up in a subscription model – be it due to choice fatigue, or the search of a more budget friendly option as a result of the cost-of- living crisis – FAST has provided a neat solution. If we look at the FAST landscape across Europe, there are a few factors which drive adoption. First, the prevalence of English content means FAST is more popular in countries where English is widely spoken. Additionally, FAST tends to be more common where pay TV costs are higher per household and where we have seen more cord cutting (a trend where households opt out of pay TV services due to high expense, thereby cutting the cord). Here, we can see a big difference between Europe and the US. Historically, Europe has always paid a small fee to access the premium content provided by their state television. Pay TV costs are much more competitive in Europe. Thus, in the US the FAST phenomenon could develop faster. If we focus on the impact FAST has had, I would like to highlight two areas: FAST channels show that people are still interested in a linear viewing experience and it’s a style that is popping up everywhere it seems, even in broadcaster OTT apps. The broadcasters have chosen FAST or IP-delivered solutions as an alternative to on-demand or catch-up viewing, creating a dedicated space for linear viewing in their apps. Additionally, FAST has unleashed a new wave of cult and niche content. We see many channels showing old favourite TV shows such as Baywatch , Hell’s
Kitchen or Masterchef . It also provides a space for niche or special interest viewing such as the likes of yoga, wine channels or similar. Which FAST tools or channels are you most excited about? I am excited to see the progression of FAST trailblazers like Rakuten, Pluto, Samsung TV+ and LG. However, I would like to mention some new players here as well. Titan OS and Tivo, for example, are building operating systems for the different manufacturers who do not have the resources to build one themselves. This is helping to level the playing field against the larger manufacturers who have made more progress over the past few years. Another one is Freely – an initiative whereby UK broadcasters are coming together with a linear offering which could be described as FAST. They are providing a one-stop shop for consumers to access UK broadcaster content in a linear experience, built within the manufacturer’s operating systems. All these developments reinforce that FAST is not a craze but is here to stay. What are the key benefits to implementing FAST into your business strategy? From an advertising perspective, it is beneficial to include FAST within your media-mix given its potential for exclusive audience reach. Many users of FAST are shunning pay TV services and therefore are harder to reach via traditional offline media. By bundling FAST offers with TV, you can create incredibly scalable advertising products like our new Big Screen Collections. In addition, we will soon see an increase in the data available
to use in FAST environments, to offer greater targeting capabilities than legacy media has offered. But this move will take time, and therefore FAST is not a silver bullet solution; it is a very relevant piece of your media-mix puzzle. Why should M&E pay more attention to FAST? Looking at FAST from a media owner perspective, it is a great way to not only bring content to the big screen, but also revive archived content which is still relevant for a modern audience. FAST also provides the opportunity to test different channel formats, content and programming strategies, without having a risk factor you might encounter for a paid TV scenario. As for advertisers, FAST is growing as a monetisation channel and an efficient way of capturing ad-dollars, as our media landscape is shifting from linear to digital. Some FAST channels are created with the aim of driving awareness to that media owner’s subscription business, therefore FAST can be an effective marketing tool. What does the future hold for FAST? I imagine that FAST is bound to see an increase in unique and premium content, with more original shows and series being released exclusively on certain platforms. The FAST user experience will be at the forefront of the big screen, rather than subscription or other business models. It could even begin factoring into people’s purchase decisions when it comes to which TV they buy due to the content and channels offered. From an advertising perspective, the progression into FAST will offer a great marketing opportunity. RTL AdAlliance, as a one-stop shop in ensuring simplicity for advertisers; can provide expert help for advertisers to create the best media-mix across Europe through one platform. By experimenting on FAST channels and trusting RTL AdAlliance’s expertise, you can optimise your media spending based on where your targeted demographic is and what is performing the best.
FAST IS BOUND TO SEE AN INCREASE IN UNIQUE AND PREMIUM CONTENT, WITH MORE ORIGINAL SHOWS AND SERIES BEING RELEASED EXCLUSIVELY
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