The Value of FAST for Content Owners and Rights Holders
As streaming has eclipsed broadcast, and now cable, as viewers’ preferred platform, FAST has ballooned into a popular option.
Not long ago, subscription streaming services were dominating the OTT market and free ad-supported linear television was an overlooked means of entry into the streaming space. But a change is underway.
As more SVOD players have emerged and a variety of legacy media houses have siloed their best content within proprietary services, consumers are finding content quality stretched thin across a variety of platforms – and thus are realizing less value for their subscription dollar. The result: As streaming has eclipsed broadcast, and now cable, as viewers’ preferred platform, FAST has ballooned into a popular option.
Consumers aren’t alone in their affinity for the model. Not only are advertisers and connected TV manufacturers increasingly partnering with FAST platforms, content owners and rights holders are beginning to realize the value in FAST.
FAST Is Easy and Inexpensive
More legitimized and accessible than ever, FAST has become a lucrative option for content owners and rights holders with libraries that can be monetized via linear streaming. With no physical infrastructure, the low cost of implementation and growing popularity among CTV audiences, FAST offers significant ROI for little up-front investment.
SVOD platforms leave content owners and rights holders chasing licensing dollars and subscription revenues, requiring routine negotiations and subsequent investment. By comparison, FAST allows content owners to continually monetize their content without it changing hands between platforms. In fact, rights holders can own and curate FAST channels as they see fit, providing more control and opportunity for brand synergy. And while “PayVOD” platforms theoretically deliver the best of both worlds – subscription dollars and ad revenue – FAST’s free model is most accessible to a global viewership that is increasingly seeking both value and simplicity.
Is FAST a Fit?
Let’s say you have an existing library of similarly themed content – perhaps a single series featuring dozens of episodes, or a handful of programs that will likely appeal to the same audience. Assuming that library is deep enough to provide a level of day-to-day variety, you might have the makings of a FAST channel on your hands.
Although there’s no single or tried-and-true formula for a FAST hit, the beauty of the model is its ability to monetize content that is already bought and paid for. While other organizations fight over rights to live sports events or fret over the income statement for their latest big-budget action production, a content owner with rights to a long-running ‘70s sitcom or several DIY- or cooking-themed shows can quickly bring a FAST channel online. With minimal effort, that FAST channel can build a revenue stream where there previously had been none.
Where to start? Consider engaging Frequency, whose software empowers our clients to create seamless, broadcast-quality viewing experiences without the traditional infrastructure and investments required in the past. With a partner like Frequency, content owners and rights holders of all kinds have the ability to monetize their properties immediately and indefinitely.
