Banijay, Fremantle, BBC, Sony: TV producers driving FAST in the US

Looking at the top FAST channels providers in the US, it doesn’t come as a surprise to see television station owners such as Sinclair (112 channels, ahead of Hearst which boasts 100) or major media companies featured. Comcast, for instance, rolled out more than 80 FAST channels despite possessing both linear TV channels and streaming assets, namely Peacock and Hulu. However, another type of actor joined the FAST revolution: TV production companies. Unlike other players, producers didn’t usually value their content through direct distribution in the US. Historically, their key partners have remained TV broadcasters, whose commissions represented most of the producers’ revenues. The latter could generate extra earnings by selling its content IP to distributors or other international companies. Quite the opposite, streamers dragged bigger content spendings once they joined the market, but sometimes asked producers to yield worldwide rights for their original creations. Today, FAST aggregators that are owned by device manufacturers, such as Samsung with Samsung TV Plus or LG with LG Channels, offer unique development opportunities to producers. With FAST growing tremendously in the US, which strategies did production companies such as Banijay, BBC Studios, Sony, and Fremantle use to compete in this market and compensate for their lack of significant platform or linear channel in the US ?   Device manufacturers platforms, unscripted shows & single-IP channels: commonalities in the producers’ FAST approach Besides reaching new viewers, FAST channels drive new revenue streams. Unlike traditional broadcasters and streamers, several FAST platforms can offer the same show. BBC’s Antique roadshow is for instance available over 5 platforms. Roku, Xumo & Freevee are the Top 3 platforms that studios chose the most to give extra value to their deep catalogs. Such actors allow producers to revalue content that is not currently broadcasted on TV or platforms. For example, Banijay’s Deal or no Deal hasn’t aired in the US since 2019 but now reaches more than 61.5 million people on Freevee.   Looking at the type of content provided, unscripted channels accounted for more than two-thirds of the FAST Channels that BBC, Sony, Fremantle, and Banijay had in the US in Q3 2022. This may come as a surprise, given unscripted shows’ reduced lifespan compared to scripted. However, most feature episodes that can be watched in no particular order (Antique Roadshow) or that include spectacular acts (Got Talent). Channels that are dedicated to only one show (Single-IP) represented 44% of the channels available. Shared practices can be observed but producers use various strategies to differentiate from the competition BBC Studios built a three-headed approach that combines powerful single-IP channels, such as Classic Doctor Who, with BBC-themed channels. BBC Cook features famous culinary shows with Jamie Oliver or Nigella...