Sneak Preview: Publishers Pay to Play Free: Next Steps in Ad-Based Streaming Monetization

On Thursday, May 22, Brian Ring, Principal Analyst, Ring Digital llc, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect May panel "Publishers Pay to Play Free: Next Steps in Ad-Based Streaming Monetization." Increasingly, content publishers are finding they need more control over their ad stack. This panel looks beyond the touted monetization-ready feature sets in streaming playback solutions and drills down with key content providers on how well these solutions facilitate ad signaling and ad stitching and integrate with ad servers, discussing what kind of reporting they provide to measure success. The panel also highlights the differences in ad-based monetization strategies as between CTV platforms, online video players, and mobile apps. And finally, panelists dig deep into critical emerging standards that are changing SSAI this year.

Sneak Preview: FAST Break: Packaging and Selling Sports on FAST

On Wednesday, May 21, Michael Nagle of Ashling Digital, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect May panel "FAST Break: Packaging and Selling Sports on FAST" with Fubo's Pamela Duckworth, Swerve Sports' Christy Tanner, Sports Studio's Cathy Rasenberger, TATA's Tom Buffolano, and HRM's H. Robert Muzac. The panel will explore what FAST sports channels look like, what kind of sports programming works on FAST, and how successful FAST sports channels target audiences, and how they satisfy advertisers while breaking ranks with the industry trend of sports rights exclusivity.

Fubo Brings Live European League of Football to Fubo Sports FAST Network With Multi-Year Agreement

FuboTV Inc. (d/b/a Fubo) (NYSE: FUBO), the leading sports-first live TV streaming platform, and European League of Football (ELF) announced today a multi-year agreement for distribution on Fubo Sports, Fubo's FAST channel, available on streaming and over-the-air (OTA).

Which Is Better for Sports Production--More Cameras or More Ops?

Typical broadcast-level sports productions are massive, with dozens of cameras and operators all over the place, and dozens more people working in and around the production trucks. So how does one, independent producer make their content more like "the big league" when there isn't a dozen people to help?

Sneak Preview: Origin to Edge: Video Caching and Content Delivery

On Tuesday, May 20, Mark de Jong, Chairman, CDN Alliance, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect May panel "Origin to Edge: Video Caching and Content Delivery," with an all-star lineup including Warner Bros. Discovery, Sky, and BuyDRM discussing the benefits of edge caching and distributed architecture for live sports, personalization, security, anti-piracy, and more.

Sports and Short-Form Keys to Accelerating Europe’s FAST Growth

Sports are an "accelerator" for ad-supported streaming in Europe with short-form sports content emerging as a key driver of engagement, says Keith Bedford, GM EMEA at CTV data company Wurl. "As studios and sports broadcasters struggle to tie in major upfront deals and connect with younger audiences, new models for revenue and content discovery will be required," he says. "Short-form video could be one way we start to see sports content companies garner interest and boost engagement for their long-form and TVOD (transactional video on demand) businesses."

NBA, DAZN, Mtech, WTFast, Hub Will Talk Next-Gen Sports Streaming at Streaming Media Connect

On Thursday, May 22, the NBA's Michelle Auguste, DAZN's Joe Caporoso, MTech's Matt Stagg, and WTFast's Darcy Lorincz will join Hub's Jon Giegengack for the Streaming Media Connect May panel "Highlights First: Gen AI, Gen Z, and Next-Generation Sports Streaming." As a new generation of highlights-first fans moves into the sports fandom mainstream, sports broadcasters need the agility and tech-savviness to produce and monetize personalized, short-form sports content at scale that meets the experiential demands of Millennial and Gen Z fans. If you're a sports rightsholder and you're not gaming out how to bring a personalized SportsCenter to every viewer, you're looking at where the puck was and not where it's going.

Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) and the Future of Streaming AdTech

On May 21, Streaming Media's Nadine Krefetz will moderate the Streaming Media Connect May panel "Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) and the Future of Streaming AdTech." SGAI arguably combines the advantages of CSAI and SSAI and allows for more targeted ads and better technical delivery, which is a boon to FAST and other AVOD platforms. Who is using SGAI now, how effectively are they implementing it, what can it do for you, and how likely is it to move into the ad-supported streaming mainstream?

Survey Says: Adtaxi and IAB Assess Media Viewership Shifts and Ad Spend Trends

The last two weeks of April saw the release of two data-rich research reports from Adtaxi and IAB, which revealed some encouraging, if not especially surprising trends about the ongoing shift from linear to CTV and streaming, and also the impact of sports on recent breaks in the game. Adtaxi's report focuses on audience migration while IAB's naturally zeroes in on trends in ad spend.

The End of the Beginning? Ready to call the bottom on pay TV

Q1 headlines: Interest in Multi-view; What Value Privacy; and the Grocery Retail promise

New Altman Solon Report: Gen Z Sports Viewership on the Rise in the Middle East

According to recent research by Altman Solon's Global Sports Survey, sports in the Middle East are experiencing previously unheard-of growth due to strong engagement from younger followers and creative, new investment vehicles. In this Q&A, Altman Solon Partner Andreas Tiefengraber details some of the unique regional elements that have spurned this increase and how broadcasters in other markets can use similar tactics to increase sports viewership amongst younger demographics

NAB 2025: Live Sports Streaming, TVXRAY, and the Qvest for Personalization

At NAB 2025 I set out in search of one irrefutable, real-world example of true sports streaming personalization, an innovative and unique experience that might present a mass-media live sporting event on my screen as it appears on no one else's. I found a contender at the Qvest Engage booth.

Sneak Preview: Streaming Media 2025 with Conference Chair Andy Beach

Streaming Media returns to the west coast October 6-8 for Streaming Media 2025 in Santa Monica. In this interview Conference Chair Andy Beach, former CTO of Microsoft, offers an advance look at the conference's mix of tech, monetization, and content strategy, and explains why this is the show the streaming industry needs now.

New YouGov data: How Often Do Americans Really Watch Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and Disney+?

A new YouGov Profiles analysis examines the viewing frequency of Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Prime Video subscribers and reveals striking differences by platform and age group.

Q&A With Aarki CEO Aman Sareen: Programmatic’s iGaming Problem - App Hopping, ROAS, and Retention

Programmatic advertising is one of the most powerful tools in iGaming—but also one of the most challenging. Rising acquisition costs, limited tracking post-IDFA, and intense creative fatigue are just the start. In a space where traditional user acquisition is getting more expensive and less effective, iGaming marketers face a clear programmatic crossroads. Aarki CEO Aman Sareen discusses the ways that Aarki's latest report highlights how the most successful apps are adapting.

Relo Metrics Gets up to Speed with F1 Sponsorship

F1 is experiencing explosive commercial growth and attracting 100+ million weekly viewers. Sponsorship spend across F1 and its teams for the 2025 season is projected to reach more than $2.9 billion. Debuting at the Australian Grand Prix, Relo's Census platform enables brands, teams, and agencies to track sponsorship performance instantly and optimize investments mid-season.

Number of Sports Channels Grows by 105% Since Middle of Last Year Per New Gracenote FAST Report

A new report on the state of FAST by Gracenote has found that the number of sports channels has grown by more than 105% since the middle of last year. Sports programming and the broad distribution strategies in FAST mean that audiences don't have far to look to find the content they want. Viewers can watch the NFL Channel, MLB Channel, and PGA Tour Channel on Pluto TV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel. These channels primarily showcase recaps, highlights, and sports-related programming.

The Future of Media and Entertainment Unveiled at NAB Show

AI, Sports, Streaming, Cloud Virtualization and the Creator Economy Take Center Stage

LLMs on Air: Gen AI Use Cases for News, Sports, and Entertainment

Streaming Media Connect 2025 featured a session on using generative AI in news, sports, and entertainment, moderated by Brian Ring of Ring Digital. The panel included industry veterans Andy Beach, Pete Scott, and Raffi Mamalian, who discussed the transformative potential of AI in media production. Key topics included the ethical use of AI, the challenges of AI dubbing, the future of personalized content, and more.

ICYMI: Streaming Media Connect February 2025

Streaming Media presented its 16th Connect virtual conference February 25-27, featuring speakers from YouTube, Meta, Amazon, Roku, Akamai, Google Cloud, Plex, DAZN, Fremantle, A+E, Vevo, Philo, Tubi, The Trade Desk, Sinclair, Vizio, Revry, and more, and session topics ranging from live streaming delivery and FAST infrastructure and monetization to app and UX to programmatic vs. direct advertising to CTV and the OS wars.