FAST channels are one of the hottest topics of the year. It seems like every day there is a new article about major subscription-based streaming services removing their original content and selling it to FAST channels. This trend is not a coincidence. According to a recent Comcast Advertising study, in the U.S. 60% of households with a connected TV were using FAST services in 2022, while Omdia reports global ad revenue from FAST channels is projected to hit $6.3 billion dollars this year. That means a lot of eyes are on these services, and there’s a lot of pressure on them to perform.
FAST channels air content on a set schedule with regular ad breaks. If that sounds like traditional television viewing, there’s a reason for that. They are designed to take viewers back to the “set it and forget it” days of cable TV, keeping the channel on for as long as possible and soaking in the ad impressions.
Unlike cable TV, however, FAST channels are streamed over the Internet, and they’ve got serious muscle behind them — Fox, Paramount, Comcast, Dish Network, Amazon, and many other high-profile media companies all operate FAST channels. Several of the most popular, including Freevee, Tubi, and Pluto TV, also feature an advertising-based video-on-demand (AVOD) component, where viewers can stream content they want to watch at any time with ad breaks.
Behind the scenes, FAST channels are also more complex to operate than cable TV. Content is pulled from different sources, the online stream is created, and the video player interacts in real-time with third-party ads and the technology that powers them. Several complex technical operations must perform perfectly for viewers to “set it and forget it.”
So, how does it all work? On FAST channels, ad breaks are not built directly into the content. Instead, they are dynamically inserted by SCTE 35 ad cues, which trigger “ad pods” within the content. The transition from content to ad is not always smooth. Sometimes ads play at a significantly different audio level or picture quality than the content. Other times, ads are replaced by a slate that might be completely static or count down to the content returning – picture the classic “we’ll be right back” message. Worst of all, dynamically inserted slates might appear as completely blank screens, leading the viewer to believe the stream has been disrupted. And that’s if the stream wasn’t already disrupted – plenty of FAST viewing sessions buffer, freeze, or crash when the ad pods are cued.
At Witbe, we conducted independent research that found as many as 30% of viewing sessions on some FAST channels encounter an issue with the ads shown. As these services rely on reaching a set number of ad impressions to sell ad slots to advertisers, that’s a major problem. Viewers who experience ad insertion issues are unlikely to stay on or return to the channel, so current and future ad impressions alike are lost. Similarly, advertisers who feel their ad impression numbers were not successfully met may withhold payment or avoid purchasing ads in the future.
So, what can FAST channel providers do to solve the problem? It begins with verification. Like all OTT streaming video, the only way to truly measure performance is by monitoring on the same apps, devices and networks that viewers at home are using. Monitoring ad performance on real devices is the only opportunity to truly observe the issues that actual viewers are experiencing, allowing providers to identify and improve them.
When monitoring ad performance on FAST channels, it’s important to measure certain criteria for all ads. For live and on-demand content, teams should monitor whether or not the ad plays, audio loudness, and video quality compared to the content, the total duration of the ad, the ratio of ads to slates in every ad pod, and if the slates feature any motion to keep viewers active, among other factors.
Recording ad performance is also helpful for verifying with advertisers, who often request proof that their ads were correctly delivered before continuing support. To achieve all of this in a time-efficient and cost-effective manner, test automation and proactive monitoring is required. Most FAST providers operate several different channels and their AVOD components. Automation allows these providers to measure performance across all of them at once, without hiring an army of manual testers.
FAST channel providers know that ad pods filled with slates (or hard crashes) have a negative impact on user retention, ad impressions and revenue. Using automated technology to monitor FAST channels on real devices enables the measurement of true ad performance. Once the performance has been verified, it can be improved, and ad pods can be filled with dynamic ads instead of blank slates. This helps providers increase ad revenue, build positive word of mouth, and keep viewers watching for longer.
The ultimate goal is to deliver a smooth viewing experience, truly allowing those watching at home to “set it and forget it.” Unlike Cable TV or subscription-based streaming services, FAST channels are marketed on convenience and comfort, not prime original content. In a crowded market, the best way for FAST channels to keep themselves relevant is by delivering stronger performance than their competitors. Life in the “FAST lane” can be a bumpy ride, but monitoring ad performance helps everything go much smoother.