BREAKFAST is looking for a new way to monetise content’

FOLLOWING MIPTV’s FAST & GLOBAL summit, there will be a special FAST Roundtable Breakfast, on Wednesday, April 19, from 09.00 to 10.30 in the Marguerite. Chaired and introduced by Global Media Consult’s (GMC) Christian Knaebel, the session will give delegates the opportunity to interact with key executives who are currently driving innovation in the sector.

Knaebel said: “At MIPCOM, we focused on What is FAST? But this time we concentrate more on the question of How do I do FAST? For MIPTV 2023, we invite users rather than suppliers of FAST services, as our table hosts. As a result, more operational experience, learning and benchmarks will be shared.”

The goal is to generate discussions that are “more about the journey that various market participants took to launch a FAST service. These hosts were all hand-picked and represent a diverse range of international market participants and also, to create the widest possible opportunity, we expanded the number of tables and the time.

“We sincerely hope to share insights and best practices from people with extensive experience,” Knaebel said.

“Anyone interested in learning what to consider when launching a FAST service or how it fits into their market or business should be able to hear from other participants what they learned when they launched their FAST channels or platform.”

The US has led the way in FAST, but Knaebel stressed that: “MIPTV and GMC had a specific wish to focus on the experience in Europe and share developments here. The setting should allow for a highly interactive session in which participants can speak candidly and openly about what has and has not worked.

“What most people find appealing about FAST is the possibility of a new revenue stream. Everyone is looking for a new way to monetise content, especially now that traditional models like pay TV and SVOD are under pressure. FAST appears to be simple to understand and implement.”

Knaebel said FAST will “undoubtedly become a stable component of any TV business strategy, playing an important role in targeting new audience segments, reducing churn and learning more about your customers. It will also be an important marketing tool and acquisition funnel.” He does warn, however, “that its feels a little like a gold rush: too many market participants are hoping for a quick win and huge profits”.

In the next phase, Knaebel said: “We will see FAST penetrate international markets with a first wave of pan-regional and international players already getting traction. The true test will be in whether strong local services can emerge and get substantial market share. I believe that local platforms and operators have now started to realise that this is a product that can be an essential component of their TV offer and that they have to get involved in it. Consequently, I see and hope for more diverse content and platform offers around FAST. There will be a special growth opportunity when it comes to target local, thematic and niche communities.”

Roundtable hosts include: Gary Woolf, executive vice-president, strategic development, All3Media International; Philipp Rotermund, CEO, Video Solutions; Daniel Nordberg, CEO, Playground TV; Marion Ranchet, managing director, The Local Act Consultancy; Teresa Lopez, vice-president, content partnerships, rlaxx TV; Cédric Monnier, CEO and founder, Okast TV; Natalie Boot, vice-president, media sales, Insights TV; Johan Kim, co-founder, business develpment, NEW ID; Linette Zaulich, manager VOD and B2C channels, ZDF; Jennifer Batty, head of content acquisition, Samsung TVPlus Europe; and Yinka Mayungbo, director, African Movie Channel... and more.

For ZDF’s Linette Zaulich, the Roundtable “will bring all relevant players together, which can help with shaping the European FAST landscape. It’s interesting for me to learn more about other strategies and experiences and, of course, I am also looking forward to meeting new people from the FAST world.” ZDF has been involved with FAST partners since 2018, so Zaulich is bringing some experience to the Roundtable. “Following the success in the US, it is a natural process for innovations to appear in Europe sooner or later,” she said.

“FAST is still establishing itself in Europe and there are still many chances to participate and become a relevant player.”