Reflections from my OTTx Summit Panel: The FAST and the Formidable

By Jiro Egawa, SVP, Platform Growth and Monetization

 

I had the pleasure of participating in the recent OTTx Summit panel “The FAST and the Formidable” alongside industry players from Fandango, Fremantle, Radial Entertainment and ViewNexa. It was a great opportunity to hear from peers across the industry and reflect on where we’re headed. The conversation was expansive, but three themes stood out to me as especially important.

Scale Is the Foundation

One thing we all agreed on is that scale matters. Whether you're a content provider, distributor, or advertiser, reaching audiences across platforms is essential. At Xumo, we think about scale in terms of devices, distribution, and partnerships. But more broadly, the industry is moving toward convergence. For example, FAST channels are increasingly being integrated into pay TV environments, and that’s a sign of how mainstream this model has become. Consumers expect seamless access, and platforms that deliver across touchpoints will be best positioned to grow.

Data Transparency Is a Must

Another recurring theme was the need for better data sharing. Fragmented insights make it hard for partners to understand performance and optimize monetization. At Xumo, we’ve made it a priority to share privacy-compliant, real-time, asset-level data with our partners, and we’re working toward adding more layers to that. Transparency builds trust, and trust drives better outcomes for everyone.

Discovery and Personalization Are the Next Frontier

With so much content available, helping viewers find what they love is more important than ever. The panel addressed the shift from app-first to content-first experiences, especially on connected TVs. And everyone agreed there’s more innovation to come, especially with advancements in AI and machine learning that can go a long way in making discovery smarter and more intuitive. The goal is to reduce friction and increase engagement, and that benefits both users and content providers.

FAST is evolving quickly, and it’s exciting to be part of that transformation. The themes of scale, transparency, and discovery aren’t just trends; they’re the pillars of a more connected, user-centric streaming future.