Free ad-supported television (FAST) platforms are quickly gaining traction with audiences. Accessible to viewers without a subscription and loaded with content, FAST platforms tout familiar programming and a familiar experience. FAST platforms can do more, however, to ensure that audiences are finding what they’re looking for. And much of that is because of how FAST platforms integrate their content.
FAST 平台的形式多种多样，但 Roku Channel、Pluto TV 和 Tubi 等频道聚合器最为常见，覆盖范围也最大。与传统的视频点播（VOD）服务不同，FAST 平台像传统的有线电视服务（许多还提供 VOD）一样，按照线性时间表播放节目。
为了建立自己的内容库，频道聚合商通过与个别内容所有者（从大型媒体公司到独立所有者和发行商）达成发行协议来采购节目和电影。例如，Roku 频道包括来自 NBC 环球、华纳兄弟、Discovery、MotorTrend、FIFA、BBC、Jellysmack 和 Nosey 的频道。
FAST 中标准化元数据的重要性
While a boon for content-hungry viewers, the wealth of content sourced from different content owners can present challenges for platforms looking to enhance or personalize user experiences when channel counts rise. As of April, for example, Google’s live TV service boasted more than 800 free channels. When there is no standard approach for producing the metadata that describes individual programs and movies, search and discovery isn’t typically optimized at the platform level.
对于拥有来自一系列发行商的海量内容目录的频道聚合商来说，元数据的质量、完整性和标准化可以简化以最能吸引受众的方式安排、分类和展示内容的过程。这正是元数据规范化和丰富化可以提供帮助的地方。
例如，内容所有者可以将丰富的规范化元数据应用到他们向频道聚合器分发的节目中，确保受众可以轻松找到这些节目。
例如，Gracenote 的 "流媒体频道数据 "可以帮助平台客户更好地让观众在不熟悉特定节目标题时找到内容。这对于特定主题和话题的频道尤其有用，如真实犯罪、悬疑和战争。在这种情况下，描述性元数据、节目图像和连接 ID 可以为对特定主题感兴趣的观众提供最佳节目定位--即使他们并不熟悉具体的节目标题。
但是，元数据规范化和丰富化的重要性并不仅限于程序描述、属性、标识符和上下文。图像同样重要，甚至更为重要。这是因为图像是向观众推销节目或电影的主要方式。这给图像元数据带来了巨大的负担。由于每个 FAST 聚合器都有自己的用户体验，因此元数据图像必须充足。单一分辨率和比例的元数据图像无法普遍使用。
Normalizing and standardizing metadata is just a starting point for personalized FAST channels. When combined with individual viewer behavior, metadata can help FAST platforms prioritize what individual audiences see. Roku and the NFL, for example, recently launched the NFL Zone within the Roku Sports experience, which offers football fans a centralized location to find out where to watch live and upcoming games. As live sports continue transitioning to streaming services, audiences will rally around solutions and experiences that eliminate the growing fragmentation of live sports rights across various services and platforms.
In addition to appealing to audiences, FAST channels are increasingly gaining traction with advertisers. In fact, media research house Digital TV Research recently forecasted that global FAST revenue will grow from $6 billion in 2022 to $18 billion in 2028. And given the digital nature of CTV and FAST platforms, rich metadata can enable contextual advertising at scale within the programmatic CTV supply chain to bring immediate value to both publishers and advertisers.
For example, there are 29 individual Gracenote Video Descriptors across 10 different attributes for Top Secret UFO Projects Declassified, which is one of the featured programs on A+E’s Mystery TV FAST channel. In a privacy-first environment void of third-party cookies, these descriptors can assist in contextual ad targeting. Publishers can enable contextual ads by passing unique program IDs in the bidstream when the supply and demand side platforms are enabled to reference these rich content tags.
流媒体行业的丰富选择使任何平台、服务或节目的命运都掌握在观众手中。随着 FAST 频道聚合器内容库的增加，成功与否将取决于它们能否将观众与他们正在寻找的内容快速联系起来。虽然广告商将明确监控各种服务的观看行为，但他们也可以利用数据改善观众体验，从而更好地为广告活动提供信息，并提供更加个性化的广告信息。
在即将到来的节日季中，有一系列值得庆祝的活动，内容发行商、平台和广告商有大量机会提高与受众的互动。万圣节首当其冲，而内容元数据则是为派对策划者、南瓜雕刻者、服装购物者或恐怖爱好者提供正确节目的关键。
For additional insights, download our latest State of Play report, which focuses on the importance of data-driven personalization and streaming content discovery.
