From FAST Experimentation to Intentional Curation: How Publishers Are Rewriting the Future of Free Streaming

Session details:

As FAST and AVOD enter a new phase of maturity, the conversation is shifting from scale at all costs to strategic curation, smarter packaging, and audience-first programming. This discussion will cover how free streaming platforms are evolving their playbooks to drive engagement, meet advertiser expectations, and stand out in an increasingly crowded ecosystem.

The discussion will explore:

• How platforms are shifting from broad experimentation to intentional curation that improves discoverability and viewer satisfaction
• The role of culturally relevant and genre-driven programming in building loyalty and sustaining watch time
• Operational challenges of distributing content across dozens of platforms with different data, policies, and algorithmic behaviors
• How publishers can better support advertiser KPIs through contextual programming, flexible operations, and smarter measurement partnerships

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how leading publishers, distributors, and technology partners are navigating the next chapter of FAST and AVOD growth, and what it will take to build sustainable, audience-centered strategies as streaming continues to evolve. Panelists would include executives overseeing programming, partnerships, product, or data who are actively building the future of free streaming.