FAST Studios

17/05/2022

Join FAST Studios next Tuesday, May 24th at the first-ever OTT.X X-FRONTS, and be sure to catch our presentation at 1 pm. Click the link below to register and secure your tickets to this can't-miss and upfront event. We'll see you in a week!

Ticket Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-ottx-x-fronts-tickets-291007570477?discount=XFRONTSADSB

22/02/2022

Evan Shapiro's Fast Track infographic maps out the major players in the FAST ecosystem. His research draws some important parallels between today’s booming space and the initial rise of Cable TV. Great insights Evan- we’re all about “televisioning” here at FAST Studios. Check it out from TVREV:

Evan Shapiro's latest media map looks at television's booming new FAST ecosystem.

01/02/2022

Today we are thrilled to announce the Women’s Sports Network – our most ambitious venture to date. We are equally as excited to welcome aboard our partners LPGA, World Surf League, and U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team. Our CEO Stuart McLean and FAST Studios advisors Carol Stiff and Sophie Goldschmidt spoke with the Los Angeles Times about why now is the time to launch a 24/7 streaming channel 100% dedicated to women’s sports. Read more online here: www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2022-02-01/womens-sports-network-fast-tv-channel

The 24-hour television channel will be entirely devoted to covering female athletes.

02/07/2021

Happy ! For the first time, eMarketer has revealed how much of US upfront digital video ad spend will go directly to CTV this year.

The market research company projects one-third of all video will be committed this year, with advertisers committing $4.5 billion for the upcoming TV season, a whopping 50% increase from last year. CTV spend will only continue to grow, increasing another 32% in 2022 to $6 billion.

CTV has become an important tool for advertisers as it provides better targeting and engagement info compared to . And with more platforms offering limited ad time per hour, inventory space is now sought-after real estate, creating incentives for marketers to spend upfront and secure their slot before someone else does. https://bit.ly/3dC5MED

For the first time, we have broken out the portion of US upfront digital video ad spending that goes to connected TV (CTV). This year, advertisers will increase their upfront CTV video ad spending by almost 50% year over year to $4.51 billion.

30/06/2021

We turned to AdWeek for the latest insights from TVSquared, a leader in cross-platform TV ad measurement. According to new research, 65% of 100 marketers plan to increase their ad spending by up to 20% this year. Overall CTV ad spend has also surpassed previous estimates of reaching $10.8B in 2021, rising to $13B and $17B by 2022.

Additional data revealed broadcast giants like NBC and CBS that take up the majority of linear ad spending only accounted for 7% of total CTV volume in 2020, with streaming publishers responsible for 45%.

Marketers are funneling dollars towards in order to reap the benefits that traditional tv can’t match. The recent influx of streaming services provides a far more valuable reach through scalable targeting and .

This new data highlights a significant transformation in tv advertising. CTV growth isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and as more ad dollars shift to CTV, linear ad spend will shift even faster. https://bit.ly/3qDTwJ1

More than 65% of marketers plan to grow their current investment by up to 20% this year.

25/06/2021

Happy ! This week, we read big news from the New York Times: Nielsen just introduced a new ratings tool designed to measure streaming habits called ‘The Gauge’.

The new metric compares the percentage of people streaming vs. watching traditional cable/broadcast by tracking internet traffic through routers, offering a more accurate set of data than their previous method of audio-recognition software.

So far, Nielson revealed that US viewers streamed content 26% of tv-watching time in May 2021, compared to 20% in 2020 and 14% in 2019. However, if a steady 6% growth continues, it won’t be long before streaming takes over linear consumption.

The Gauge offers a comparable way to look at tv viewing habits, and with updated accuracy and transparency, this will be a beneficial tool for marketers looking to target a specific audience through -supported programming. We’re eager to keep an eye on how streaming numbers shift for the benefit of advertisers and programmers alike. https://nyti.ms/35WZACN

The company known for measuring television ratings said Netflix and YouTube are far ahead of their digital rivals, but viewers still spend more time watching cable and network TV.

23/06/2021

Our very own CEO Stuart McLean shared some thoughts on the industry in a guest post for Broadcasting & Cable Magazine, offering advice for independent FAST players looking to stand out amongst the major . Check it out! https://www.nexttv.com/blogs/how-independent-fast-players-can-compete-against-the-major-streaming-studios-and-corporations

The free ad-supported television (FAST) space has grown significantly with the prevalence of connected TVs and platforms like Roku, Pluto TV and Xumo. More recently, many of these large streaming platforms have been purchased by major studios and media companies like ViacomCBS, NBCU and Fox.

18/06/2021

Happy ! platforms have the ability to engage viewers in a way that traditional tv just can’t offer, and FuboTV just introduced a new feature to their service: sports betting but through .

During the South American World Cup qualifiers, Fubo viewers accessed a dashboard of live statistics and answered questions about the game’s outcome for a chance to win a free year of the service, all part of a bigger plan to allow through TV.

The feature highlights how one creative tool can open the door to a number of engagement opportunities: not only does it enhance the viewing experience for super fans, but it could lead to an advertising expansion for sponsors to offer prizes, all while collecting data on who is tuning in to participate.

We’re always seeking out unique ways platforms choose to engage with a dedicated audience, and we’re interested in seeing how the feature plays out for platform. https://bit.ly/3cMHozW

With pay TV on the decline, FuboTV is looking to sports gambling as a potential new revenue stream.

16/06/2021

Hello and a happy Wednesday! HBOMax launched their anticipated AVOD tier last week, and we were curious to read the key takeaways thanks to Variety. The new plan is priced at $9.99, just 33% less than their ad-free plan for $14.99, and viewers see 4 minutes of ads per hour.

Those who sign up for the ad-supported tier don’t get quite as many perks, including the inability to download content for offline viewing or watch WB film premieres that also launch in theaters.

We’re curious if viewers will spend the extra few bucks for an ad-free experience, settle for the difference in perks, or look to other platforms altogether for additional premium alternatives. https://bit.ly/3cJqIsY

Over its nearly five-decade history, HBO has never run commercials. Now WarnerMedia, in a bid to maximize its streaming base, has rolled out a cheaper version of HBO Max with ads — $9.99 monthly, 3…

11/06/2021

Thank goodness it's ! ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish revealed at a virtual investor conference this week that is on track to reach 1B in ad revenue by Q4, surpassing earlier expectations of reaching 1B in 2022.

The platform’s projected growth comes with little surprise, having reached 50 million average monthly users this year. Bakish shared his optimism for Pluto TV’s future, noting that the global market is exploding - and set to be worth 50B in the next 4 years.

The success of Pluto TV shines a light on the real growth potential of . Ultimately, this only proves the major demand among viewers for free, as Pluto TV continues to flourish in the space. https://bit.ly/3pAhWTm

09/06/2021

It’s no secret viewers are actively leaving for , but what are the current numbers behind household viewership? Lucky for us, MediaPost has the latest data.

According to Parks Associates, a sizable 82% of US broadband users also have at least one service (including AVOD + SVOD). As an company, we’re curious to see where AVOD will live in the next few years as more viewers crave premium content.

Will the 82% that’s stacking streaming subscriptions on top of their cable bill choose to cut the cord permanently or opt-out of pricer streaming platforms for FAST channels? Or even something we haven’t seen yet? Obviously, we’re eager to keep an eye on the cable v. streaming battle. https://bit.ly/3z9llgf

The latest data shows 82% of broadband users have at least one subscription service.

04/06/2021

Happy ! We’re always on the lookout for creative marketing opportunities, and our friends at Roku just debuted a new series offering added visibility to a universe of Roku content.

Roku Recommends, a 15 min. segment hosted by Maria Menounos and former NFL player Andrew Hawkins, highlights the top 5 titles for viewers to stream that week, utilizing Roku’s data vault to provide insight on which titles to feature.

The series provides brands the ability to market themselves through sponsored segments woven into the program and breaks where the hosts talk directly to viewers about the brand. We’re looking forward to more advertising innovations to come from Roku! https://bit.ly/3fQ5qfj

Weekly show Roku Recommends, presented by Walmart, help users find new shows to stream.