Using social to break into FAST

Five years ago, Free Ad-Supported Streaming (FAST) was virtually unheard of. Fast-forward to today and 1 in 3 US viewers tune in to FAST services, with global FAST revenues for TV and Movies set to reach $18 billion by 2028. For companies with content suited to its linear format, distributing on FAST channels can unlock the potential of back catalog content, attract new audiences, and diversify monetization. In an increasingly fragmented content ecosystem, this diversification is a necessary way to reach new audiences while retaining existing viewers moving away from cable and expensive streaming models.

Unfortunately, any media company cottoning on to the opportunities that FAST affords has to compete with a wide number of other options for audience attention. With the explosion in FAST providers and channels available (there are over 1400 FAST channels available in the US alone), the battle for FAST discoverability is only getting fiercer. To succeed, brands need the best deals possible from FAST distributors for their back catalog or niche content. That relies on strong advertiser demand, assessed with factors like content quality, viewing figures, and audience demographics. If a brand can demonstrate desirable results for all three, scheduling its content becomes a lot more appealing.

One way media companies can demonstrate audience demand and strengthen their negotiating position with FAST services is by using social platforms. These services allow brands to grow a loyal audience and market their FAST channel to funnel interest into future FAST offerings. With its position at the interface between streaming platforms and free ad-supported content, YouTube offers brands a unique opportunity to de-risk content distribution and demonstrate the clear success metrics needed to broker the best partnerships with FAST providers. 

The growth in US FAST channels. Source: Variety. 

Unlocking portfolio growth with FAST

Savvy media companies looking to capitalize on opportunities for growth amid a fragmented content ecosystem are already utilizing FAST. In 2022, content distributor Fremantle brokered several new deals for the Jamie Oliver brand, including the creation of a dedicated FAST channel, The Jamie Oliver Channel. Initially launched on Amazon FreeVee in the US, the channel has since gone international, with a partnership with technology provider Samsung bringing it exclusively to Samsung TV Plus in the UK. 

By hosting its Jamie Oliver content on FAST platforms, Fremantle has diversified its reach and opened the door to greater monetization possibilities. They’ve also brought Jamie Oliver’s brand to a wider audience, which will strengthen the brand's performance across its content portfolio – including his latest internationally-distributed TV Series, The Great Cookbook Challenge. 

Jamie Oliver’s FAST appeal is bolstered by his previous TV career and demonstrated success on ad-supported platforms. The celebrity chef already has a popular following on YouTube – one that he’s worked with Papercup to strengthen by taking international. The Jamie Oliver YouTube channel’s large audience makes him an ideal candidate for FAST, demonstrating to providers the value his content could bring to their advertising partners and giving him a platform with which to market his FAST channel. 

Other media companies considering a similar move to FAST can also use social channels to grow and demonstrate an audience before making the move. In addition to improving negotiations and de-risking the investment, it can lead to stronger viewing figures and content demand across a brand’s portfolio.  

The Jamie Oliver YouTube channel has over 5 million subscribers, with popular videos garnering millions of views each. 

The YouTube opportunity

YouTube is a particularly useful social channel for brands considering FAST partnerships. Due to its AVOD model and popularity worldwide, it attracts audiences well suited to being funneled through to FAST. Its broad appeal and network of casual users are also fantastic for brands looking to experiment with their strategy.

By building an audience on YouTube before moving to FAST, companies gain two strategic advantages: 

1.They can test markets to discover or prove where content will perform well. 

YouTube offers more flexibility than FAST since there’s no need to demonstrate demand for content before it’s scheduled. Brands can simply upload content and assess how it performs, with little upfront cost and fewer consequences for a lack of results. This makes it a great place to experiment with content strategy to see which content types perform best in which regions. 

With the addition of YouTube’s MLA tracks, this process is easier than ever. Companies looking to validate new audience demographics can use AI dubbing services like Papercup to quickly produce high-quality localized content. Dubbed tracks can be added as options to existing English-language videos to test the demand for content in different locations. The resulting data can then be used to inform FAST strategy. 

Using Papercup’s technology, The Jamie Oliver Group was able to quickly add new audio tracks in German, Portuguese, and LATAM Spanish to validate suspected demand and trial new international markets for their YouTube channel. Over the trial period, they discovered Spanish dubs drove 28x more views than subtitles, proving a strong and engaged Spanish audience for Jamie Oliver content which can feed into their FAST distribution strategy. 

Brands can use similar insights to build out an international strategy that maximizes reach without costly trial-and-error. Companies can then approach FAST partners confident about what will perform best where.  

Jamie Oliver’s Father’s Day Recipes, localized for YouTube MLA with Papercup

2.They can broker better deals with FAST platforms.  

By building an audience on YouTube first, brands can prove ad-supported demand for their content and strengthen their negotiations with FAST providers. Evidence of an engaged and loyal audience then increases their chances of landing in a featured spot or being curated into a mainstay channel. 

Since FAST success is all about how many viewers see a brand’s content (and therefore the associated advertisements), this increases monetization potential. It’s also critical for improving brand awareness. When users open their FAST services, they’re most likely to get sucked into the content they see on their opening screen – not channels that are buried an endless scroll away.

PlutoTV, like many FAST providers, shows featured channels first.

YouTube is an especially useful platform for demonstrating this demand because it has breakdowns of advertising metrics such as YouTube CPM, watch time, and completion rate. Strong performance demonstrates not only interest but audience loyalty – brands with high completion rates and high CPMs are able to engage competitive audience demographics across extended time frames. These are metrics that similarly predict success on FAST: audiences that continue to watch lots of content, despite intermittent advertisements, are users FAST services want to attract. 

How to market FAST channels using YouTube

For brands that already have a YouTube following and strategy, there are other benefits for keeping this going alongside new FAST initiatives. YouTube channels are a great way to market FAST channels and bring existing audiences through to other monetized services. For example, a brand’s FAST channel could offer extended versions of things teased on YouTube to engage and retain audiences across platforms. Not only does this increase revenue potential, but it can improve audience loyalty: by offering expanded content from YouTube on a FAST channel, brands can engage the same user across multiple platforms, increasing the ways that user engages with their content.

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In the current age of content fragmentation, companies that diversify their distribution strategies are the ones that grow and end up on top. From content creators like Logan Paul and Hannah Stocking using multiple platforms to increase their social media monetization, to media personalities like Jamie Oliver and Hailey Bieber adding online ad-supported channels, brands willing to experiment with their distribution strategy are being rewarded with results. 

As a method of diversification, combining FAST with social channels allows brands to get more out of the content catalogs while engaging a wider subset of viewers and increasing audience loyalty. For long-term health in a fragmented ecosystem, it’s a low-cost way to ensure the best strategy is adopted and attract an ongoing stream of new viewers.

To get started with YouTube MLA tracks today, speak to a Papercup expert for a consultation.