NAB 2023 : Accedo, Amagi and ThinkAnalytics bring linear personalization to FAST

Accedo, Amagi and ThinkAnalytics have partnered to deliver innovative viewer-centric experiences to FAST. The joint solution enables video service providers to increase video consumption by removing the hurdles of the current cable-like FAST experience.

By bringing personalization to the linear experience and enabling interactive features, providers can better engage their audience and improve hours of view and advertising revenue, the two most important metrics related to this business model.

FAST has become the fastest growing category within streaming in the US – viewers are loving the linear lean-back experience and the free content choices. As more channels come into FAST, video services are at a risk of reintroducing the choice fatigue problem which the viewers are specifically running away from their VOD experiences. The joint solution provides an opportunity for a FAST video service to curate personalized content experiences to their viewers, while allowing as many content providers to provide their channels to their service.

In this solution, using search and personalized recommendations powered by ThinkAnalytics based on a combination of viewer behavior and first-party data, Amagi builds personalized EPGs and channels to deliver a personalized stream to Accedo. Through its powerful video platform, Accedo transforms the stream to a personalized linear viewing experience – very much on par with the VOD personalized experiences the viewers are conditioned to.

Michael Lantz, CEO, Accedo, explains: “The rapid success of FAST has mainly been driven by OEMs and major streaming platforms evolving their VOD proposition to launch aggregated FAST services. This has been quite disruptive, but we have not yet seen linear viewing adapt to maximize the potential of digital video. The plethora of channels is making content discovery more challenging and a massive overlap of content makes differentiation hard to achieve. If FAST can get the balance right however, it has the potential to become a strong acquisition channel for service providers and will contribute greatly to the trend for hybrid monetization. We have seen a clear demand from the market to enable this level of flexibility while maintaining the premium experience of the OTT Space.”

Baskar Subramanian, CEO & Co-founder of Amagi, commented, “With our ringside view of the FAST ecosystem today serving all 3 stakeholders – content providers, FAST services and advertisers, we have developed an innovation agenda for the future of FAST i.e. FAST 2.0. We are thrilled that ThinkAnalytics and Accedo are joining us in our journey to advance our vision of FAST to bring streaming-like viewer experiences to cable-like content. We remain very bullish about the future of FAST and are committed to bring innovation to all 3 stakeholders in FAST through our partnerships”

Greg Riker, CRO, ThinkAnalytics, added, “With the cost of living on the rise and viewers seeking out lower cost or free entertainment content, we are seeing a rise in FAST as content owners look for new ways to monetize their assets. Our strategic partnership with Accedo and Amagi allows video providers to deliver a personalized and differentiated service that increases consumer engagement while driving more value to advertisers. It’s all about engagement and getting the correct content to the viewer, fast.” BCS Bureau