Monday, Oct 6
Debate & Discuss
Streaming Media 2025’s Debate & Discuss track brings together industry leaders for two spirited debates and two in-depth discussions. From exploring opposing viewpoints on pressing issues to fostering collaborative dialogue on emerging opportunities, the sessions are designed to challenge assumptions, spark fresh ideas, and provide actionable insights for the future. Come to listen, learn, and join the conversation!
Access to the Debate & Discuss track is included with the purchase of our VIP Access Pass.
Debate: Is the Future of Streaming Free or Paid/Hybrid?
Monday, October 6: 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
FAST executives and SVOD leaders square off on the future of free vs. paid streaming.
Jon Giegengack, Founder and Principal, Hub Entertainment Research
Rebecca Avery, Owner & Principal, Integration Therapy LLC
Jonathan Shrank, VP of Streaming & Content Partnerships, TheSoul Publishing
John Stevens, CEO, V10 Entertainment
Debate: Lean Back vs. Lean Forward and the Future of Streaming
Monday, October 6: 1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Streaming promised a new era of TV experiences: heightened interactivity and personalized, self-curated content on demand with traditional lean-back passive viewing relegated to the rear-view mirror. In 2025, with FAST arguably the fastest-growing segment of the streaming ecosystem, lean-back linear is back in play. What do today’s and tomorrow’s streaming viewers really want: to be served a linear, lean-back viewing that looks suspiciously like old-school broadcast TV, or do they prefer to curate and control their own content?
Jonathon Barbato, Co-CEO, Best Ever Channels
Laura Martin, Managing Director, Senior Internet & Media Analyst, Needham & Company
Alia J. Daniels, COO & Co-Founder, Revry
Colin Petrie-Norris, Founder & CEO, Fairground
Who Controls Audience Data and Data-Driven-Revenue?
Monday, October 6: 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Content owners and streaming platform execs debate audience data ownership and how the industry can achieve a better data-sharing balance, content providers on non-owned and operated platforms, and platform owners can partner more effectively to access audience data, grow revenue, and improve fill rates.
Natasha Potashnik, Head of Data, Research & Measurement, Vevo
Christy Tanner, Chair, Swerve Sports
Stephanie Haycock, Founder, Wonder Works Consulting
How Economic Disruption Is Forcing a Media Infrastructure Reset
Monday, October 6: 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
The real problem in streaming isn’t delivery. It’s economics. The entire media value chain is under stress, from crumbling monetization models to disconnected rights systems and legacy infrastructure that no longer fits the way content is made or consumed. In this session, Hallstone Ventures founder Seth Hallen looks at where the cracks are showing and what it will take to rebuild. The focus is not just on what’s broken, but on where new models are emerging. From trusted ledgers and AI-native tooling to sound technologies and decentralized creator platforms, Seth leads a conversation with founders who are betting on what comes after the current system. This is not a startup pitchfest, it's a strategic look at where the media stack gets rebuilt, and by whom.