
Rick Young, SVP head of global products at LTN, explains the importance of innovation in driving audience growth strategies
By Contributor
Published: July 17, 2024 Updated: July 19, 2024
Rick Young, SVP head of global products at LTN, explains the importance of innovation in driving audience growth strategies
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Rick Young, SVP head of global products at LTN, explains the importance of innovation in driving audience growth strategies
https://www.tvbeurope.com/features/opinion-powering-digital-linear-channel-creation-in-the-fast-era title=Share via Email class=share-email>
A major challenge for media companies is discovering ways to efficiently and affordably deliver new channels or new versions of existing channels without significantly increasing headcount or investing in new technology.
Major broadcasters, sports networks, and streaming platforms understand the need to scale their live channel offering to engage new audiences amid intense competition and growing consumer choice. The difficulty is trying to rightsize the cost of creating a new digital linear channel against the expected revenue returns from highly segmented audiences. Simply experimenting in the digital arena doesn't cut it anymore. Ambitious players need to see genuine revenue generation across all traditional linear and digital products to meet profitability targets and achieve sustainable business growth.
Media companies know that live is the most compelling and valuable flavour of content. Live content draws viewers onto new platforms - recent Kantar research showed that soccer drove 51 per cent of SVoD sign-ups in Europe in Q3 2023. Traditional media organisations and digital-native players seek ways to make digital and FAST platforms the home for their live events and linear channel experiences. One reality remains clear: Media organisations need their new digital-first channels to engage the widest audience possible with fresh, live content. Robust IP-based technology, global reach, and the power of automation enable them to do that cost-efficiently and at scale.
Staying ahead to ensure success on FAST platforms Viewer expectations are constantly shifting. Today's audiences, particularly digital-native viewers, are looking for fresh, live, and relevant content experiences on new platforms and devices, including FAST platforms. We need to move past the long-held perception of FAST as a secondary viewing option best-suited to archived content and niche programming - times have changed. Media companies need to create more compelling content propositions to attract the scale of audiences required on FAST platforms to increase revenue. Beyond integrating more live and high-value programming to increase viewer engagement, content owners also need more cost-effective ways of iterating, experimenting, and doubling down on winning formulas. That could mean launching a new digital linear channel tomorrow and replacing it with several different iterations in a matter of weeks.
Meanwhile, keeping up with a complex and rapidly expanding digital distribution landscape takes a lot of work. While facilitating seamless distribution to all of the most well-established FAST platforms, such as Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and Tubi, is vital, content providers also need the toolkit to deliver their digital linear channels to various downstream traditional platforms, including MVPDs, vMVPDs, and broadcast stations where significant viewership remains. Media businesses and platform operators are looking for connective tissue to help bring channels originally destined for FAST to broader horizons and more traditional endpoints. We're also seeing channels initially designed for more traditional platforms evolving their business model toward a targeted FAST approach. Using automated playout and IP-based distribution technologies simplifies these processes and makes them more cost efficient, helping media companies manage ecosystem complexity and scale without high costs.
Taking your live linear channel to new levels Broadcasters can champion intelligent, reliable, digital-first playout systems with built-in automation to seamlessly create new digital linear channels, increasing speed-to-market, integrating high-value live sports and news programming, and supporting custom ad triggering for multi-platform monetisation.
We all know that live sports, news, and events draw in viewers at scale and attract advertisers. Localised content experiences are also fundamental ingredients for building a compelling FAST offering. Regionally tailored news coverage, local sports, weather, and entertainment programming deepen audience engagement and reduce platform churn. The good news is that cost efficiently bringing high-value live and local content to FAST platforms isn't as complicated as you may think. Powered by advances in automation and intelligent IP distribution, broadcasters can take a primary linear channel and seamlessly spin up secondary and tertiary tracks for FAST distribution - engaging audiences with live and local news, sports, or other high-value live content while sidestepping the typical costs and headcount increases associated with scaling your channel offering.
Automation drives digital revenue growth Automation is essential to driving operational efficiencies and achieving cost optimisation for media businesses. Reducing the time and human effort spent on non-value-added tasks opens up resources to invest in creativity and audience experiences. Incorporating an integrated IP ecosystem approach that harnesses automation to fuel powerful channel creation, customisation, and monetisation capabilities gives broadcasters a robust foundation to deliver unique and targeted content that delivers for consumers and ad buyers alike.
Media companie
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
30/09/2026
Schibsted Media, one of Norways largest and most influential digital media publishers and content producers, has invested in mixers and digital signal processor...
30/09/2026
Big Blue Marble announces the addition of live multiview channels to Cloud Video Kit, its broadcast-grade video processing platform. The feature is powered by A...
30/09/2026
Leading video software provider Synamedia today announced that Telekom Slovenije, Slovenia's largest provider of telecommunications and TV services, is open...
30/09/2026
PODCAST EXPO 2026 Recorded Using Blackmagic Design Workflow
Brie Clayton September 29, 2026
0 Comments
Conference featuring 24 sessions over two days ...
30/09/2026
IBC2026 Show Report
David Kirk September 29, 2026
0 Comments
The International Broadcasting Convention has long been Europe's equivalent of the US...
30/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/09/2026
Mavis has launched Mavis Camera 8.2, the latest release of its professional camera app for the iPhone and iPad. This update brings support for iPhone 18 Pro and...
29/09/2026
Oak View Group (OVG) has announced Cisco as an Official Technology Partner, with plans to standardize infrastructure across its venue network on Cisco solutions...
29/09/2026
SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) won three honors at the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
Program awards went to Bucs BP in the Sports Program Live category (produced ...
29/09/2026
The Professional Women's Hockey League has announced home openers for all 12 teams for the 2026-27 season, along with a broadcast partnership with CBC under...
29/09/2026
Manifold technologies has been recognized as a contributor to the Media eXchange...
29/09/2026
FuboTV has announced My Local Sports, allowing subscribers in select markets to add their local regional sports network (RSN) as an add-on to a Fubo Sports subs...
29/09/2026
Asian News International (ANI), a wire agency and video news provider based in India, has deployed Grass Valley's AMPP Media Operating System and Framelight...
29/09/2026
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has deployed Ikegami UHK-X600 cameras as part of an upgrade to IP-based production infrastructure. The deployment ...
29/09/2026
REMI, REMCO models will drive the bulk of the broadcaster's NHL productions ...
29/09/2026
Three years in, the facility is supporting more centralized race production, com...
29/09/2026
NBC, Peacock, and NBSN are carrying all four Wild Card series with a production ...
29/09/2026
19 Nonfiction Projects Across All Stages of Production to Receive More Than $1 million in Support as Documentary Film Program Approaches 25th Anniversary
LOS ...
29/09/2026
Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles
Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...
29/09/2026
All-in-one bus processor revealed
Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...
29/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Ikegami announces that the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, has chosen Ikegami UHK-X600 camera systems as part of an advance to IP-based operation ...
29/09/2026
Blendkit Offers 20% Discount to Celebrate Crossing 150K Asset Milestone
Brie Clayton September 29, 2026
0 Comments
Blendkit, the largest 3D asset libr...
29/09/2026
Interactive streaming specialist Ease Live supported more than 76.5 million fan sessions across three major European media operators during this summers FIFA Wo...
29/09/2026
Ease Live has added support for VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) to its graphical overlay technology, opening up new ways for broadcasters, streamers and rights...
29/09/2026
Rise AV has announced the launch of the inaugural Rise AV Awards, a new global awards programme celebrating the women, advocates and organisations across the AV...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Clear-Com announced that First Baptist Nashville has upgraded its production communications with a Clear-Com intercom solution as part of a comprehensive sanct...
29/09/2026
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K Captured Action Shots for Sketch
Brie Clayton September 28, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's portable design and dynamic range...
29/09/2026
Kean Production Services Deploys AJA ColorBox to Deliver Consistent, Accurate Co...
29/09/2026
Berklee Alumni and Faculty Nominated for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards A total of 28 Berklee alumni and faculty earned nominations across 20 categories this ye...
29/09/2026
Berklee's K-Pop & Beyond Explores Connections Between K-Pop and Hip-Hop Now in its fifth year, the series brings together artists, industry leaders, and s...
29/09/2026
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN, OR AT ANY ADDRESS IN, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITO...
29/09/2026
We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...