Here are the most interesting links around the streaming world we stumbled upon in the last month. We’ve written a short summary for you, but a detailed look is recommended.
The Verge: The future of streaming is ads
The popularity of big-name streaming services like Netflix and Hulu has reached a plateau, and investors are uncertain about their future profitability. The fastest-growing segment of the streaming business is now free ad-supported platforms, which have been around for years, quietly amassing big content libraries and users.
These services offer two types of programming, Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST), always-on streaming channels that run 24/7, and Advertising-Based Video on Demand (AVOD), a library of content to watch on demand. The appeal of free streaming is that it is free, and an increasing percentage of streaming subscribers are cancelling paid services in favor of free ones.
Key essentials to bind users are easy discovery, personalization and usability, like catching up where the user left last time.
SSAI vs CSAI: Server-side ad insertion or client-side ad insertion, which is best for my business?
In the world of digital advertising, two terms that you may often come across are SSAI and CSAI. These are two different methods for delivering video ads in digital streams, each with its advantages and disadvantages. But what is the different, and what is the right one for you? In this blog post, the author takes a closer look at what SSAI and CSAI are, how they differ, and what their implications are for advertisers and viewers alike.
FAST 2.0: The Next Iteration
As streaming services become more popular, the expectations of customers continue to increase. One of the most common requests from customers is the ability to catch up on shows or events that they have missed.
Alan Wolk is describing what’s going to happen in the near future and calls it FAST 2.0. A good read if you want to be up-to-date on what’s coming next in the streaming world.