Hello CoMo: The New King of Content Monetisation – Bye bye FAST

Ladies and gentlemen, gather ’round. Today, we’re talking about something that, much like a V8 engine in a Prius, just doesn’t quite fit. I’m talking about FAST – Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television. It’s a concept that, in theory, should be as smooth as a Bentley on a country road. But in reality, it’s more like trying to drive a Reliant Robin through the Sahara.

You see, FAST has caught a cold. Not because the idea is flawed, or even the technology – though let’s be honest, it’s far from perfect. No, the real issue lies in the over-reliance on programmatic advertising to fill those coveted ad slots on Connected TV (CTV). It’s like trying to fill a swimming pool with a teaspoon. The fragmentation, the lack of syntax in VAST tag communication – it’s all a bit of a mess. Ads aren’t yielding, broadcasters are pulling their hair out, and premium content studios are left wondering why they even bothered.

And then there’s the programmatic architecture. It’s as rigid as a 1970s union strike. The inefficiencies are glaring, but the response is always the same: “It’s FAST, everyone does it that way.” Well, that’s just not good enough. Content owners are at the back of the queue for revenue shares, getting less than 10% of the gross while shouldering more than half the costs and three-quarters of the risk. It’s a stalemate, and it’s time for a change.

Enter CoMo – Content Monetisation. View TV has decided to take the bull by the horns and create a new term that actually makes sense. CoMo is all about going back to basics. It’s about broadcasters and content studios succeeding at what they do best – monetising content.

But here’s the kicker: CoMo comes with a risk. To succeed, it needs to cut out the middlemen – those intermediary companies that take a hefty commission while adding little value. View TV has already rolled out CoMo on its own platform, Kapang. Kapang CoMo delivers ad-funded video on demand and ad-funded linear broadcasting, previously known as FAST channels. The programmatic chain remains untouched on the buying side, but the selling side is integrated into the programmatic ad-exchange, delivery, and audience platform technology.

View TV claims that CoMo will inject much-needed revenue into content finance deals, but at the expense of more than half of the existing CTV programmatic intermediaries. Kapang brings three major fixes to the traditional FAST model: 28-day ad-revenue payment terms, live dashboard data reporting, and a guaranteed 100% ad-fill. Yes, you heard that right – 100% ad-fill. This means doubling revenues for the same audience data by not relying solely on programmatic ad-sales. Instead, it integrates Ad-Exchange Self Service, Direct Deals, and 100% fill addressable traditional TV advertising.

Of course, this disruption will ruffle some feathers in the Ad-Tech world. But as View TV’s expert Jamie Branson puts it, “The business has to go through a seismic change to ensure that the content Industry can do what they are good at, Shocker: Drastic Measures Taken to Save Content! ‘Cutting Off Fingers to Save the Arm…..” Says Jamie

So, there you have it. The future of content monetisation for content studios, video archives, and premium linear broadcasters has a new lease on life. Let’s just hope CoMo can take hold quickly, without too many bumps in the road.