Revolutionize your channel's ad pod strategy with Amagi THUNDERSTORM

In the ever-evolving landscape of ad-supported streaming TV, content owners and platforms constantly seek innovative ways to distribute and monetize their content inventory globally. The global demand for free live and linear ad-supported content in various languages and genres has skyrocketed, making FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) a roaring success. As content owners and platforms delve into this realm, they face critical challenges in effectively monetizing their content through ads. However, the real key to success lies in understanding and unlocking the nuances of monetization in the FAST landscape.

When monetizing FAST channels, content owners often find themselves in uncharted territory. While they may have learned the art of FAST delivery, effective monetization demands a different skill set. To conquer this challenge, the recommended approach is server-side ad insertion, also known as SSAI. 

Content owners can achieve comprehensive and efficient monetization of their FAST channels by leveraging a server-side platform to create and manage ad pods and streamlining the monetization workflow through various ad servers. 

Read more: SSAI: A deep dive into effective content monetization

The good news for all content owners is that the Amagi THUNDERSTORM SSAI team is solving for better render rates and impressions for FAST channels monetization.

Render rates and Impressions: the game changers in the FAST universe

Render rate is crucial for content owners and platforms embarking on server-side ad monetization. It measures the percentage of ad impressions successfully served to users out of the total number of ads received from ad servers, thus gauging the effectiveness of converting ads into user impressions. If ads are being fetched but need to convert into user impressions, scaling ad monetization across channels and regions becomes a formidable obstacle.

On the other hand, impressions play a vital role in the monetization game for your FAST channel. The more impressions your channel generates, the greater your ad revenues can be through a CPM-based pricing strategy.

Unraveling the concept of ad pods

What are ad pods? In the realm of video content across desktop, mobile, linear, and live TV, an ad pod represents a grouping of ads strategically sequenced to be played within a single ad break. These pods provide invaluable opportunities for content owners and platforms to monetize their content and maximize revenues while enabling advertisers to reach their intended viewers with personalized messaging. A channel's success is paramount to crafting a clear and effective ad pod monetization strategy aligned with viewership trends.

Why are ad pod optimization strategies crucial in the world of SSAI and FAST?

Channels with lengthy ad breaks often suffer from low render rates and impressions due to one of the following reasons:

• User drops between ad breaks are more frequent, causing previously fetched ads for the entire pod to remain unconverted, leading to lower render rates.
• Extended ad breaks often require SSAI to request longer-duration ads, resulting in incomplete fulfillment of pod time within a single ad request. Though the pod gets filled with slate ads, it ultimately leads to fewer monetized impressions.

Revolutionizing FAST monetization with Amagi THUNDERSTORM's ad pod solution suite 

Amidst the dynamic landscape of FAST and CTV, Amagi THUNDERSTORM has pioneered two ad pod strategies that drive unparalleled monetization results:

1. Pod splice: This groundbreaking feature allows content owners to divide longer ad pods into shorter ad pods, significantly improving channel render rates. By splitting ad requests into multiple sub-pod durations, Amagi THUNDERSTORM optimizes ad delivery based on the number of active users watching the ads, enhancing render rates.
   
   
2. Mid-break join: This innovative feature enables ads to be served to new audiences joining during ad breaks, effectively boosting impressions. Amagi THUNDERSTORM ensures that ads are fetched even for users who enter the channel during an ongoing ad break, thus maximizing the total number of impressions.

Choosing the right strategy for your channel

Ad pod split is ideal for channels experiencing user drops and lower render rates due to longer ad breaks. Ad pod splitting propels monetization success by optimizing the conversion ratio for channels and monetizing smaller user sessions.

Likewise, mid-break join is ideal for channels struggling to monetize streams due to shorter user sessions, which can result in fewer impressions. With Amagi THUNDERSTORM's mid-break join, you can maximize impressions and capitalize on every opportunity to monetize your content.

The FAST lane to success: Amagi THUNDERSTORM x a leading Indian OEM player

With a shared objective of boosting render rates and impressions for a leading OEM customer's channels, Amagi THUNDERSTORM's revolutionary ad pod strategies delivered phenomenal results:

• A leading Hindi news channel experienced a staggering 70% improvement in render rates and a remarkable 60% increase in daily impressions.
• A prominent music channel witnessed an incredible 100% surge in impressions.

Even more impressive is the fact that we achieved these significant improvements within 24 hours of implementing the ad pod split and mid-break join strategies. The upward trend continued, validating the effectiveness and immediate impact of Amagi THUNDERSTORM's innovative ad pod features.

Read more: Combating 5 biggest challenges of SSAI with Amagi THUNDERSTORM

Redefining possibilities: Amagi THUNDERSTORM's impact on ad pod optimization strategies

Amagi THUNDERSTORM is reshaping the landscape of ad pod strategies, offering media professionals and industry leaders an unparalleled opportunity to unlock the full potential of their FAST channels. With Amagi THUNDERSTORM's game-changing features, such as ad pod split and mid-break join, you can optimize render rates, generate impressive impressions, and maximize your ad revenues. Embrace the power of Amagi THUNDERSTORM today and revolutionize your channel's ad monetization game.

Contact us to learn more about these strategies and how our SSAI experts can improve your channel’s ad pod strategy. Reach out to us at cloudandme@amagi.com.