Localization & Discoverability Lead MIPTV FAST Discussions

The importance of localization, access to exclusive content and the challenges of discoverability dominated several of the sessions at MIPTV’s well-attended FAST & Global Summit in Cannes this morning.

The packed MIP Lab in the Palais reflected the surging interest in the FAST channel landscape, which is presenting a raft of opportunities for distributors with sizable catalogs, savvy smart TV operators and IP owners looking for additional revenue opportunities.

Speaking at a session focused on FAST programming and content creation, Shaun Keeble, VP of digital at Banijay Rights, highlighted that the company operates 22 FAST channels. “We’re looking to provide the best lean-back experience and create channels with reach. Seventy-five percent of our FAST channels today have been single IP-led. Deal or No Deal, Survivor, The Biggest Loser—we’re really tapping into that non-scripted, format-led single IP and then, where appropriate, launching aggregate FAST channels such as Horizons in the U.K. It is the home of U.K. entertainment. When we think about our aggregate channels, we need to be genre specific but also local specific. We’re taking that approach with single-IP channels as well.”

The session also featured Jennifer Batty, head of content acquisition at Samsung TV Plus Europe. “Samsung is the number one manufacturer of televisions and connected televisions for the last 17 years worldwide. How do we deliver more for the people out there buying the Samsung devices? We have 50 million addressable Samsung smart TVs in Europe. We have about 120 million worldwide. It’s a pretty big audience. We are number one in Europe. We have a 34 percent market share of connected TVs, significantly more than our second competitor. The introduction of Samsung TV Plus became a natural progression.”

Samsung TV Plus operates its own channels and works with third-party providers like Banijay Rights. For its own channels, it operates on standard licensing agreements with rights owners. It operates 22 channels and is looking to roll out more, Batty said. “We do three different types of modeling when we look at partnerships: the O&Os, which is a straight license fee; third-party channels, where we do a revenue share; or we have our hybrid model, which is a slightly more integrated partnership. With that, they supply the content, we program, schedule, we supply the platform.”

On exclusivity, Batty referenced a deal with DAZN that brought exclusive live football from three leagues to its platform in Germany and Austria. “That’s a real driver. We want to give Samsung consumers something new and different and special for them. It helps to drive viewing, it helps to drive monetization, it helps to build the brand—exclusivity is definitely the direction we’re looking at. As the FAST industry evolves, we want to be able to differentiate ourselves.”

FAST channel deals are generally not exclusive, Keeble noted. With a catalog of 160,000 hours, Banijay Rights remains focused on “what makes the most commercial sense” as it expands its deals with FAST channel operators.

Batty also noted that certain content “suits exclusivity a little bit more. So we do look across both exclusive and non-exclusive. It’s about building the partnerships and relationships that will help drive the business forward.”

The panelists then discussed the challenges of discoverability. “We’re not looking at this stage at having 200 or 300 channels,” Batty said. “We’re looking at 120 per country. That gives you a better opportunity to find content.”

Keeble added: “Rich IP is going to cut through. Having a strong channel proposition. From a content producer/distributor perspective, personalization is certainly something that is going to be key. We want to be able to make sure that our hours viewed increase by having the appropriate audience.”

The morning’s summit also featured insights from Olivier Jollet, executive VP and international general manager for Pluto TV at Paramount, and Cédric Dufour, CEO of Rakuten TV Europe.

Pluto TV has been a pioneer in the AVOD and FAST space, Jollet noted. “Pluto TV is leading the game with almost 80 million users across the globe. We are live in more than 35 markets. We now have more than 1,000 channels across the world, very local. Last year we launched more than 800 channels across the world.”

Rakuten TV, part of the wider Rakuten group, launched first in Spain and is now available in 40-plus European markets, reaching around 140 million homes, Dufour said, thanks to its partnerships with TV set manufacturers. “We have around 500 different FAST channels,” Dufour noted, about 100 of which are owned and operated by the company. “We want users to know they will find relevant content. We have local teams in 15 countries to make sure we have the relevant content. In each country, we have a mix of global and local content.”

Pluto TV is not commissioning originals but does have exclusives in certain markets.

Rakuten has delved into originals on its AVOD platform, beginning with sports documentaries. It has expanded into lifestyle and reality as well. To manage the costs, “we are working with brands who want to associate their names with our productions,” Dufour explained. “It’s complementary to a 30-second ad on linear. Now that we’ve found the business model, we have many projects for the coming year.”

On the trends underpinning the gains in FAST, Jollet noted the shift from traditional television ad budgets and clients seeking “more addressability, more targeting and more measurement. You have money coming from the big FMCGs, the big TV buyers, shifting their budgets to connected TVs. You also have smaller advertisers who could never do TV campaigns. They are able to run a CTV campaign at an affordable price. The range of advertisers is massive. Advertising on Pluto TV is as efficient as traditional TV ads. If you’re able to showcase that to advertisers, the money will come. It’s already a big business.”

Dufour reflected a similar sentiment, noting, “We clearly see a shift from traditional to CTV. Advertisers like CTV inventory. We have lots of data we can use for better targeting. The advertising is better perceived by the users because it’s more relevant to them. It’s really key to monetize our audience. It’s also a way for the studios to give greater value to their content.”