Day two opened with the Streaming: Are we there yet? panel to discuss the latest trends in the market and what is expected for the future of digital video.
*By Luis Cabrera, from Miami
Streaming was the topic of conversation for the beginning of the second day of Natpe Global, which began with the Streaming: Are we there yet? panel, where key players in the SVOD, AVOD, HVOD, TVOD and FAST space spoke about the audience trends, technology and monetization strategies that are shaping the streaming market, and what is next for the industry.
The panel was moderated by Jamie Schouela, President, Global Channels and Media, Blue Ant Media, who opened the discussion by talking about the importance of distinctive offerings that stand out in a saturated market.
“Differentiating yourself from an advertiser perspective is key,” said Katrina Kowalski, Senior Vice President, International Content Programming and Acquisitions for Pluto TV, Paramount. “You have to demonstrate why you are the most attractive option compared to others.”
“We need to do a better job of communicating the FAST experience to advertisers,” added Beth Anderson, SVP & GM, FAST Channels & VOD Sales, BBC Studios.
Still, the executive insisted that there are not “too many” FAST channels. “No one on social media is asking how many TikTok accounts is too many. Why do we do that with channels?”, he asked.
“Effective curation, strong marketing and great distribution helps audiences discover channels,” Kowalski added. “We are constantly testing things, like we did with anime, which was a huge hit in many markets. We always rely on data because you have to treat each region differently.”
In this regard, the executive also highlighted live events, such as the VMAs or sports. “We look for opportunities in each market and not always in the same way. We are going towards niche sports because, clearly, the rights to the most important leagues are already taken or are very expensive.”
Looking to the future, all the panelists agreed that FAST will continue to be a key player in the entertainment universe.
“I don’t see a future in which live content does not become an essential part of the FAST ecosystem. What takes time to develop is the technology,” said David C. Graber, Executive Vice President, Content Sales, Warner Bros. Discovery.
“There is an incredible opportunity for monetization in the FAST universe and that is what has us most excited about the future,” concluded Richard Young, MD, History Hit & FAST Channels, Little Dot Studios.
