Ep. 45: Christy Tanner (II) - The Evolution of FAST: Excellence, Purpose, and Women's Sports

For episode 45 of Retention Zone , I interview Christy Tanner , a veteran in the streaming media industry and current executive at Swerve TV, LLC .

Christy was in our Episode 24 and then at the NAB Streaming Summit Panel I moderated organized by Dan Rayburn, so it's good to get an update after few months t see how things have changed.

The conversation delves into the evolving landscape of Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST), the rise of women's sports, and the challenges facing the streaming industry as a whole.

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FAST Channels: A Growing but Crowded Space

Tanner highlights the rapid growth of FAST channels while emphasizing the need for quality content. She notes, "I think that the world of FAST channels for many years has been maybe where some of the content owners saw it as an extra monetization opportunity, as opposed to a place where they could create and showcase the best content and programming and really deliver a great service to consumers."

This observation underscores a key challenge in the FAST ecosystem: the proliferation of low-quality channels that fail to engage viewers meaningfully. Tanner argues for a more curated approach, suggesting that platforms should be "more selective about the channels that they choose to carry."

The Rise of Women's Sports

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on Swerve Sports' success in the women's sports arena. Tanner reveals an interesting trend: "What we found is that the women's night performed better than every other night of the week. So we had women's combat sports on Swerve, outperforming men's combat sports."

This success led to the creation of a dedicated women's sports channel, showcasing a wide range of sports from "cheerleading to basketball to soccer to volleyball, gymnastics and everything in between." Tanner emphasizes the importance of this move, noting that "in many cases, women's sports are not being seen. They're not available to be seen."

The discussion also touches on a common misconception about the audience for women's sports. Tanner points out, "One thing that we do know from research that's out there is that fans of women's sports are more or less equally male and female."

Challenges in Data and Analytics

One of the persistent issues in the FAST ecosystem is the lack of comprehensive viewer data. Tanner expresses frustration with this limitation: "We get very little data from the distributors and platforms, and everybody's in the same boat. They really have walled gardens when it comes to data, and they're using it for ad targeting."

This lack of data poses significant challenges for content creators and programmers. As Tanner explains, "It's extremely challenging to program a channel without adequate data about who's watching and why."

The Future of Streaming and FAST

Looking ahead, Tanner predicts a period of consolidation and refinement in the streaming industry. She notes, "I think we're going to see others go under. We're seeing, we're already seeing FAST platforms be more selective about the channels that they choose to carry."

However, she also sees opportunities for growth, particularly during key seasons: "It's going to take another step up during the holiday season when everybody buys new connected TVs, as they do every year, and things will shift."

A Call for Excellence and Purpose

Perhaps the most poignant part of the interview is Tanner's impassioned call for excellence and purpose in the media industry. She states, "I think anybody who's in the media industry who is creating or distributing content needs to ask themselves why they're doing this. Because if you really don't care about culture, programming, showcasing great athletes, bringing trusted news to the public, why did you get into the media business?"

This call to action extends beyond just content creation to the overall quality of streaming services. Tanner argues, "There are some news channels, there are some entertainment channels, there are some sports channels that they're bringing us all down. They're bringing the whole streaming industry down because the people behind them are not delivering excellence."

Conclusion

The conversation with Christy Tanner provides valuable insights into the current state and future prospects of FAST channels and the broader streaming ecosystem. Key takeaways include:

1. The need for high-quality, purposeful content in FAST channels
2. The rising popularity and untapped potential of women's sports
3. Persistent challenges in data sharing and analytics within the industry
4. The importance of excellence and purpose in media creation and distribution

As the streaming landscape continues to evolve, Tanner's perspective serves as both a warning and a call to action for industry players. Her insights suggest that success in this space will depend not just on technological capabilities, but on a genuine commitment to delivering value to viewers through excellent, purposeful content.

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