FAST channels

America’s Test Kitchen introduced direct and programmatic buying for its free ad-supported TV channels – marking the first time it’s selling ad inventory as a standalone package.

Has Fox One Won Yet? Fox is still finding its footing in the streaming era. It didn’t operate its own streaming platform until this past summer, with the launch of Fox ONE, and, unlike Disney and NBCUniversal, it lacks lucrative sports rights that help drive viewership. What Fox does have, though, is Fox News.  Roughly […]

To attract advertisers, Bloomberg is pitching them on not just reach but contextual relevance. That rationale inspired the company’s latest contextual ad product, AdService, which it launched in January.

With its focus on scale and its homegrown programmatic buying platform, Revry, an LGBTQ+ owned-and-operated streaming service, is in a better position to compete for minority-owned media.

Viewers – and ad buyers – are giving FAST channels a chance. Still, the FAST channel market has a long way to go, says Michael Scott, VP and head of ad sales & operations at Samsung Ads.

The more new FAST channels there are, the harder it is for them to stand out to advertisers that have long perceived them as the bargain bin of streaming. One way to grab the attention of advertisers is to provide the data and transparency they’ve long been asking for from CTV partners.

Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign up here. Not-So-Sweet Deal A campaign without reporting is like an undressed salad. But Sweetgreen has to eat it anyway. “I’ve been pushing my Google reps,” the brand’s director of media and growth Jeff Lin declared during a panel at the Possible conference in Miami, Adweek […]

US TV ad inventory – including streaming – is eroding. Which means streaming platforms are tasked with pulling off the very difficult feat of appeasing viewers while also growing ad revenue enough to placate Wall Street.

Tastemade taps Wurl for performance marketing campaigns that direct viewers to its FAST channels while lowering customer acquisition costs.

Amazon is expanding Fire TV home screen inventory to more marketers and launching a new ad unit within search results on Fire TVs.

Vevo, a joint venture co-owned by Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, is prioritizing monetization through streaming distribution by getting its TV channels onto more platforms beyond YouTube.

INSP is an example of a TV network that’s more comfortable with linear because it has an older audience. But that doesn’t mean streaming is off the table.

Programmers like free ad-supported TV channels because they’re an onramp to bring more viewers into ad-supported video-on-demand environments.

A weekly comic strip from AdExchanger that highlights the digital advertising ecosystem…  

There’s a prevailing narrative that supply-side platforms are releasing tools to cut out demand-side platforms in a desperate attempt to differentiate. But “it’s much more nuanced than that,” says Magnite CRO Sean Buckley.

Streaming services are increasing both their subscription prices and ad loads. Plus: Meta just broke the record for the biggest GDPR fine ever.

Pluto’s on-demand streaming is rife with ad repetition and poorly timed ad breaks, whereas the FAST ad experience felt much cleaner – and much less annoying.

Atmosphere TV is a streaming service that distributes FAST channels to gyms, restaurants, airports and bars in exchange for the ability to run ads on the content. Atmosphere pitches advertisers on the opportunity to reach newer and more exclusive audiences.

Video creators like Tastemade are blurring the lines between short- and long-form video. Tastemade launched in 2012 to create food-focused video content for social media platforms, but the exploding growth in connected TV viewership triggered a transition for Tastemade to expand into a broader media company that includes streaming channels.

The good news for streaming providers is that consumers are on board with how they deliver content, especially when they can save a few bucks with free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) and ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD). However, despite these free or low-cost ad-supported content options, streaming services are still struggling to gain and retain subscribers.

TV advertising is complicated enough without also having to worry about child-focused privacy regulations. But buyers and sellers need to consider the nuances when it comes to reaching and engaging children, including content relevancy and ad messaging strategies that differ depending on age.

At the Next TV Summit in New York City on Tuesday, legacy TV companies and the technology providers that serve them pushed back against an early eulogy for broadcast television. As old players reinvent themselves and new ones join the scene, TV distribution is coming full circle — broadcasters are focused on getting their network signals to stream on mobile devices and connected TV (CTV).

Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign up here. The Services Company What do Apple’s prices indicate about its Services revenue plans?  A lot, actually.  Apple’s MO has been to increase customer lifetime value by increasing devices and prices. Apple made a brief run at the lower market with the 5C, a phone […]

Free, ad-supported TV (FAST) is the fastest-growing tier of streaming. To take advantage of the trend, Samsung relaunched its FAST platform, Samsung TV Plus, on Tuesday. The relaunch includes more channels from TV networks like A+E and AMC, more local news, and distribution across Samsung … smart fridges.

FAST channels are a good way to channel (pun intended) more viewers into VOD content libraries. Without sign-ins, payment or the burden of deciding what to watch, FAST channels have a lower barrier of entry, and ideally, viewers who find something new they like on FAST will continue watching the series more regularly in VOD.