Press: Zype Kicks Off ‘OTT360’ With ‘Living in the FAST Lane'

The FAST market presents an opportunity for content owners to take advantage of a growing space with a rising revenue potential. According to a recent study from nScreen Media, ad revenue earned by virtual linear channels will grow from $2.1 billion in 2021 to $4.1 billion in 2023.    

Evan Shapiro, an Emmy and Peabody Award Winner, Producer and TV and Media Professor, will host the “Living in the FAST Lane,” panel discussion and dive into the emergence of Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) for both large-scale and niche content providers. Thomson Reuters correspondent and author, Dawn Chmielewski; FAST Studios CEO, Stuart McLean; Zype’s EVP of Engineering, Shikha Arora, and CEO, Ed Laczynski, will join Shapiro to share insights into the future of FAST and discuss best practices to engage with viewers and increase revenue.

The “Living in the FAST Lane” live digital roundtable will take place on March 1, 2022, at 1 p.m. EST. To register, please visit: https://hub.zype.com/living-in-the-fast-lane/ 

Event Overview: Living in the FAST Lane

Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) viewership is on the rise, with audiences expected to double by 2023. While many of the larger players currently lead streaming advertising revenue through affiliations with major media companies, more organizations - of all sizes - are working to integrate FAST channels into their distribution strategy as quickly as possible.

The panelists will address questions, such as, how do content providers ensure their linear channel stands out as the FAST space becomes more crowded? Will FAST revenue continue to be dominated by major players, or will niche channels with focused content for specific audiences come into their own? Which technology is needed to optimize ad revenue? One thing is clear -- this will not be a hobbyist pursuit! 

This all-star panel unpacks the FAST space, including:

• FAST predictions for 2022
• What it takes to be a major player in the FAST space
• Examining the revenue model of a successful FAST channel
• Who is going to win - and who is going to lose in the FAST space

About the panelists:

1. Evan Shapiro is an Emmy and Peabody Award winner, having produced or created more than 150 television series, specials, documentaries and podcasts, including Portlandia, Comedy Bang Bang, Maron, National Lampoon Radio Hour Podcast, The Roast Of Your Teenage Self, and many more. He is a Professor for TV and Media at NYU/Stern School Of Business and for Media Studies at Fordham University.
2. Dawn Chmielewski is a veteran writer with experience covering media, technology and politics. She is a Los Angeles-based correspondent for Thomson Reuters and co-author of the upcoming book Binge Times, which chronicles the streaming media revolution.
3. Shikha Arora is the Executive VP of Engineering of Zype. She is skilled in architecting and building complex Web Applications, Mobile Applications, Video and OTT Solutions for Print and Digital Media Companies.
4. Ed Laczynski is Founder and CEO of Zype. He is an online media and cloud software entrepreneur, industry thought leader, investor and advisor.
5. Stuart McLean has built the team at FAST Studios to accelerate the next generation of streaming TV by creating new premium channel brands supported by programming, media, marketing and sales experts for a turn-key path to success.

View the full press release here.