Everybody knows FAST channels are among the hottest growth areas in OTT, but we’ve maintained steadily that the best is yet to come. In a new white paper released today, the smart people at Parks Associates envision a streaming ecosystem in which FAST channels are personalized to boost engagement and monetization. Parks notes that FAST is OTT’s new “front porch” that can drive engagement with complementary SVOD services. It sees personalization as the key to:

• Simplifying viewer experiences by leveraging data and analytics to identify and deliver content that’s individualized for each subscriber, removing the complexity of content search and navigation across countless streaming services;
• Combatting churn by expediting discovery of long-tail content that is specifically targeted to the viewer’s interest; and
• Unlocking monetization that ranges from strictly ad-supported models to hybrid plans that include discounted paid subscriptions that include some advertising.

You can download the entire white paper here.