Sneak Preview: Programming and Monetizing Sports on FAST
On Thursday, May 14, Chris Pfaff, CEO, Chris Pfaff Tech Media, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect panel “Alpha Channel: Programming and Monetizing Sports on FAST.” FAST channels thrive on volume and discoverability, but sports rights are costly and complicated. How do you fill a 24/7 channel with compelling sports programming without breaking the bank? This panel explores creative scheduling and content mixes, licensing strategies, fresh angles on balancing mass appeal and niche differentiation, and tips for identifying and serving passionate communities of fans. Learn what turns on FAST sports channel viewers and keeps them tuning in.
Confirmed panelists include:
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Chris Pfaff was the first to use IRC for an interactive corporate webcast; he produced one of the first DVDs, the first HD animated logo, and some of the first mobile short films; he led numerous multipoint broadband events; and he produced the first Twitter Wall. His company, Chris Pfaff Tech Media, has provided strategy and marketing services for leading technology service providers, technology firms, and new media companies worldwide since 2002. Pfaff was also one of the founders of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) New Media Council East and a founder of the New York chapter of the VR/AR Association.
“We have now reached the ‘Goldilocks’ challenge of the FAST era. If you are too broad, you become noise in an oversaturated market. If you are too niche, you may lack the scale required to attract meaningful advertiser interest. The most successful sports FAST channels solve this by treating niche content as the ‘hook’ to build a passionate, core community, while using broad production values and cross-platform strategies to expand the ‘shop window.’ We see the barrier to entry being lowered for casual fans with alternate feeds, and we’re seeing FAST provide a wealth of first-party data, giving sponsors deeper ‘attribution’ and ‘performance’ metrics,” Pfaff explains.
Cathy Rasenberger is founder and president of Rasenberger Media LLC, a leading media industry consulting firm providing business development, outsourced management, and strategic advisory services. Rasenberger is also a founder and co-president of Sports Studio, a global sports platform, distribution, and monetization company dedicated to delivering and monetizing free, high-quality sports programming across linear and on-demand platforms. Sports Studio owns and operates Free Live Sports TV, which is among the world’s largest dedicated free sports platforms. Rasenberger has been included among CableFax’s “Top 100 Heavy Hitters” and “Most Powerful Women,” and she was inducted into the Cable TV Pioneers.
“Live sports content has an unrivaled power to attract viewers and keep them engaged,” Rasenberger asserts. “On FreeLiveSports.tv, which aggregates 125 sports FAST channels and 2,000 hours of sports-related VOD, we track channel performance. We have seen viewership increase 100x on channels with multi-day live events, with the higher viewership levels sustained long after the live event ends. Live sports is a powerful magnet for advertising on FAST, given the higher engagement and stronger advertising recall versus non-live programming, driving higher ad fill rates and CPMs. Companies like Transmit, Canvas Space, and InTheGame are successfully aligning ads with high-impact moments on content now to generate higher-value ad units and capture more robust viewer data. A successful strategy for any sports FAST channel includes a component of live content to attract new viewers, build fan communities, and drive higher ad revenue. Live delivers!”
Dave Stelnik is VP of business development at FloSports. As an entrepreneur and executive, Stelnik has spent his career leading at the intersection of sports, technology, and media. In his current role, he heads off-platform distribution initiatives for FloSports. He has overseen Flo’s rapid FAST channel expansion and has spearheaded strategic partnerships with Amazon Prime Video, Roku, and Samsung, among many others. Prior to his current role, Stelnik was founder and CEO of DirectAthletics (acquired by FloSports in 2023), a leader in endurance sports event registration and data management.
“Building a compelling 24/7 sports channel starts with a deep well of live rights sustained by high-quality shoulder programming—highlights, studio content, and feature stories,” Stelnik says. “Drawing from our portfolio of over 50,000 live sports events a year, FloSports is pushing the envelope with the most live sports in FAST. As advertisers seek access to more live sports and FAST platforms adapt to make live content more discoverable, we see FAST as an essential vehicle for both engaging hardcore fans and creating new ones.”
Bill Graff currently operates TeleGraff Media, LLC, to help sports organizations grow their media footprint to increase brand value and revenue. Previously, he spearheaded the largest program entitlement deal, to that time, for Discovery Communications. Prior to Discovery, he led independent broadcaster programming efforts, resulting in market dominance over network affiliates and O&O’s. As an entrepreneur, he guided cutting-edge independent producers to deliver successful series to major factual networks. As part of beIN SPORTS, he designed, launched, and programmed beIN SPORTS XTRA, the first hybrid OTT/FTA Sports channel.
Graff is looking forward to discussing “how sports FAST channels can build community among related fanbases while judiciously deploying their resources in a fiscally responsible manner.” In addition, he’ll be asking, “How can FAST channels add more to the overall value-chain of sports rightsholders by serving as a gateway to premium content? How can FAST channels take advantage of major sporting events to which they do not own the rights? What are the best strategies to maximize the viewership and sponsorship value of live rights?” Also on the agenda is sharing “proven scheduling strategies to launch and build new channels.”
Pamela Duckworth is an award-winning executive producer with extensive experience across all production disciplines and brand marketing. She is head of Fubo Studios, which is Fubo’s original production division dedicated to sports and entertainment programming across multiple formats. Fubo Studios’ first production was the 2024 award-winning docuseries Evolution of the Black Quarterback. Duckworth also oversaw Fubo’s programming and marketing partnership with Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort. In her current role, Duckworth is responsible for all strategy, creative direction, and original programming for the company’s owned and operated TV networks, including Fubo Sports Network, Fubo Movie Network, and Fubo Latino Network.
“We founded Fubo Sports Network in 2019 well before most of our competitors. From there it wasn’t long until we discovered a recipe that’s helped us grow in an increasingly crowded space,” Duckworth shares. “Since inception, we’ve discovered and partnered with up-and-coming sports properties, developing them and turning them into hits. Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is a prime example, and now it’s one of our top performing programs with its own dedicated FAST channel in English and Spanish. It’s this approach that makes it possible to stream 500 live sporting events per year on the network alone.”
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