Gracenote accelerates FAST in UK
June 21, 2023
Gracenote, the content solutions business unit of Nielsen, is working with TV media company A+E Networks EMEA to advance its Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) offerings through a new commercial agreement.
By leveraging rich Gracenote metadata, IDs and imagery, A+E Networks EMEA ensures the valuable programming delivered by its new Inside Crime, Mystery TV and World War TV channels available on Amazon Freevee in the UK can be easily discovered and watched by viewers. This enables A+E to maximise engagement on its FAST offerings from launch and better monetise the advertising placed against its factual and entertainment programming.
According to Gracenote, consumers nowadays have proliferating choice in terms of the video services they use to get all the entertainment content they want. Based on the appealing combination of familiar programming without cost or subscription commitments, FAST offerings have been embraced by consumers broadly. But pre-existing challenges around effective content navigation, search and discovery are compounded with these services. If the curated content available on FAST channels cannot be readily found within a streaming aggregator’s UI, then engagement and monetisation opportunities can be lost.
Previously, A+E had provided descriptive metadata for its programming to downstream aggregation platforms. Using Gracenote Distribution Service, the network now benefits from increased FAST channel and content discoverability enabled by the underlying Gracenote descriptive metadata, programme imagery and connected IDs.
“While FAST services provide content owners new opportunities to monetise their programming through engagement and advertising, old challenges around content discovery can limit potential upside,” notes Vikram Kulkarni, VP, Strategic Initiatives, EMEA at Gracenote. “With a long history serving the global video ecosystem and unmatched metadata expertise, Gracenote understands these challenges well. We’re pleased to play a key role in ensuring A+E Networks’ valuable content is easily findable and watchable on their new UK FAST channels and are confident that viewer engagement and monetisation will naturally follow.”