Gracenote expands FAST acceleration programme in US

Nielsen’s content data business unit, Gracenote, has extended its FAST programme to the US supporting content owners and providers lin launching FAST channels more easily.

The Gracenote FAST Program enables US content owners to distribute their TV programs and movies to leading streaming platforms, with Gracenote metadata to ensure their offerings are discoverable and monetizable, according to the company.

The programme leverages Gracenote’s existing distribution network which comprises leading streaming platforms, to facilitate seamless onboarding and immediate content availability, says the company.

Gracenote first launched the programme in Europe in September. It provides relevant metadata and assets to the Gracenote distribution network of platforms for FAST channel deployment. Content owners submit their programmes and schedules, which Gracenote says it then distributes enriched, normalised programme data and EPG data directly to the streaming platforms.

According to the outfit, participants will benefit from standardised date and time formats, enriched programme synopses and visual imagery, as well as standardized genre categorisations and more advanced data tags.

“Go-to-market complexity in the FAST ecosystem can slow the process of launching channels and getting content in front of entertainment-hungry viewers,” said Tim Cutting, chief revenue officer at Gracenote. “By removing obstacles for content owners in the U.S., the Gracenote FAST Program facilitates wider content distribution, better content discovery and deeper viewer engagement. Ultimately, this helps participants maximise ad monetisation against their valuable content assets and position themselves for success now and into the future.”