Mumbai: RunnTV, India’s first independent and one of the fastest-growing FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) platforms, has announced a strategic partnership with digital entertainment company Pocket Aces to launch and scale multiple FAST channels across platforms.
The partnership will cover both technology and distribution, enabling Pocket Aces to expand its premium digital content portfolio into the FAST ecosystem while leveraging RunnTV’s technology infrastructure and global distribution network.
As part of the collaboration, Pocket Aces will launch several FAST channels featuring its digital-first content across genres such as comedy, youth entertainment, lifestyle and originals. The channels will be powered by RunnTV’s end-to-end FAST technology stack and distributed across its network of connected TV platforms, smart TV OEMs and OTT ecosystems.
The move is expected to accelerate the adoption of FAST in India while creating new monetisation opportunities for digital content owners.
“We are excited to partner with Pocket Aces, a pioneer in creating culturally relevant and highly engaging digital-first content for Indian audiences,” said Manish Sinha, Founder & CEO, RunnTV. “Their strong portfolio of premium, advertiser-friendly content combined with RunnTV’s FAST technology and distribution capabilities will enable the creation of compelling channels that deliver value to viewers, advertisers, and platform partners. This partnership reinforces our commitment to building a robust FAST ecosystem and enabling content owners to unlock new revenue streams and audience reach.”
Pocket Aces, known for its digital brands such as FilterCopy and Dice Media, sees FAST as a strategic opportunity to extend the lifecycle and reach of its content and intellectual property catalogue.
“FAST represents a significant opportunity to extend the lifecycle and reach of our large content and IP catalogue while tapping into the rapidly growing FAST and CTV audiences,” said Aditi Shrivastava, Co-founder, MD & CEO at Pocket Aces. “With our own channels plus the channels of 250+ influencers in our roster, our endeavor is to take diverse content formats – including short form, microdramas, web series, podcasts, and reality shows – to vast audiences across the country. This exciting partnership with RunnTV allows us to do exactly this.”
The partnership will enable the rapid deployment of FAST channels powered by RunnTV’s playout, channel orchestration, ad monetisation and analytics infrastructure. These channels will be distributed across leading connected TV devices as well as OTT and FAST ecosystems, providing Pocket Aces with expanded reach in India and international markets.
The collaboration is also expected to create new opportunities for advertisers by offering access to premium, brand-safe content environments and enabling targeted, measurable advertising for highly engaged FAST and connected TV audiences.
As FAST adoption continues to grow globally and in India, industry players believe such partnerships will play a key role in helping content owners scale distribution efficiently while meeting increasing consumer demand for free, ad-supported streaming television.
