MUMBAI: Amagi, which offers cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced the release of its 14th Amagi Global FAST Report, which highlights content providers’ shift toward unified, platform-agnostic distribution to amplify both reach and monetisation.
Key takeaways from the 14th Amagi Global FAST Report include:
· Global Hours of Viewing (HOV) and ad impressions saw a year-over-year growth of 95% and 65%, respectively
· The Entertainment genre grew over 100%, making it a top investment choice — showcasing both significant scale and a strong growth rate. It also represented 42% of all new channel launches.
· The US and Canada accounted for 50% of the new channel launches — continuing their dominance in FAST
· 65% of consumers find the streaming landscape confusing
· 75% reported they would be more likely to spend time on a video service if it included both free, paid, and ad options
· News remained the most popular genre in APAC with 40% HOV share, followed by Entertainment at a 23% share.
· Within the Entertainment genre, Comedy, Drama, Horror and Reality accounted for 30% of the HOV.
· Music is the best monetised genre in APAC. Monetisation of Kids channels remains the lowest.
· Of the 300 new channels launched in APAC, 100 were Entertainment, 70 were News and 50 were Documentaries.
The traditional boundaries between video services are blurring, with pay TV services now offering FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channels, SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) platforms introducing ad-supported tiers, and FAST services seamlessly blending linear channels with AVOD (Advertising-Based Video on Demand) content. To be more agile, efficient, and profitable in addressing evolving consumer preferences, content providers are embracing unified distribution strategies that enable them to reduce costs instead of creating separate teams and infrastructure.
“The media landscape is rapidly evolving, and the old ways of distributing content in silos just won’t cut it anymore. Our latest report shows a significant trend: Viewers are flocking to free streaming services, but they’re getting frustrated with the fragmented experience of jumping between multiple platforms. This presents a clear opportunity in the market, as video services that can offer a seamless, integrated experience combining free, paid, and ad-supported models will stay on top. Content providers need to take a hard look at their distribution strategies, break down their silos, and unify operations. While unifying steaming operations will deliver efficiency, it’s ultimately about meeting the changing demands of today’s viewers,” said Srinivasan KA, co-founder and chief revenue officer Amagi.
The 14th Amagi Global FAST Report offers data and insights derived from 3,300+ FAST channels that use Amagi Thunderstorm, the company’s server-side ad insertion (SSAI) platform.
