Sneak Preview: Removing the Friction of Content Discovery on CTV
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On Thursday, November 14, media and entertainment technology strategist Chris Pfaff will moderate the panel “Removing the Friction of Content Discovery on CTV.”
Today’s streaming providers deliver endless amounts of content, which can overwhelm viewers who are simply looking for something to watch. The content discovery process often takes far longer than viewers are willing to wait. FAST channels have the power to redefine content discoverability by using data to serve customers the content they want to watch and help them find new content based on prior viewing habits. FAST platforms have a vast amount of data available to them, but only a small amount of it is being used to its full potential. Incorporating viewership data into the content discoverability process can remove the pain points that have bubbled up in the new streaming landscape, lead to more engagement with the content, and open up more opportunities for advertisers to reach their target audiences. This panel of content operations, acquisitions, and discovery experts looks at the success of genre channels and provides attendees with insight into how they help their viewers find their content faster.
Confirmed panelists include
Moderator Chris Pfaff is CEO of Chris Pfaff Tech Media, an strategic marketing and public relations services consultancy. Chris was one of the founders of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) New Media Council East, and served as chairman of the group from 2007-2013. He served as the vice chairman of the national PGA New Media Council from 2011-2013, for which he served as a delegate from 2006-2013, and also served as a delegate on the PGA Board of Directors from 2008-2013.
"The CTV market is growing, and advertisers are following the growth in CTV audiences," says Pfaff. "Samsung TV just reached 88 million MAUs. And FAST channels are continuing to grow. We are seeing promising deployment of AI for CTV to enable improved search across the landscape, and improved metadata workflows as well. Ultimately, the device manufacturers will have a huge role in enabling greater search functions for users, and advertisers, and channel partners will do the same. We have yet to find the holy grail to content search on CTV, but there are incremental approaches that we've seen that point the way. Ultimately, it will be a blend of user behavior shift and multi-modal technology integration that will reduce the friction in the endless search for relevant CTV content."
Panelist Katrina Kowalski is the Vice-President, Content, Paramount+ and Pluto TV Canada, based in Toronto and the lead executive overseeing all Canada’s content acquisitions and originals. For the past two decades Kowalski has broadened the television landscape in Canada, programming the best from around the world and at home. In her role as Vice President, Content, Paramount+ and Pluto TV Canada Katrina is responsible for all content decisions for Paramount+ and Pluto TV in Canada, including original programming and acquisitions.
Panelist Monica Williams, Senior Vice President, Digital Products & Operations, for NBCUniversal’s Content Distribution Group. Williams leads the team responsible for how people experience viewing all NBCUniversal network portfolio content across digital platforms. Her current role encompasses content fulfillment of on demand and linear channels as well as developing innovative experiences through product & data solutions.
"The biggest challenges to easing and accelerating the content discovery experience focus on the end-to-end overhaul of the content supply chain and everyone breaking out of the walled gardens," Williams says. "We need to develop the full snapshot of the consumer experience on platforms. Rebundling and content aggregation could certainly help simplify the content discovery experience. Genre and niche FAST channels can avoid getting lost in the shuffle by understanding the target audience and what the content genre brings. FAST could also bridge content discovery challenges, especially for viewers looking for leaned-back viewing."
Panelist Gatsby Frimpong is CEO of Gatsby TV, a self-described "fun way to discover the best TV shows and movies across all networks while at the same time making the exploration process fun and social." Gatsby TV leverages generative AI to improve the discovery experience, and attempts to level the discovery playing field impeded by the subjectivity of existing algorithms.
"I think one of the sad things about the internet is people believe its [search capabilities are] objective, but we have to keep in mind that Apple, Google, and some of these companies that do actually work on aggregation are in fierce competition with other companies like Amazon Prime video. And so maybe Apple isn't showing you that it's available on Amazon. Maybe they're trying to get you to go to iTunes."
He explains, "First and foremost, we try to educate people on the fact that search algorithms are not objective. They're actually very subjective. And [content owners] like YouTube, Apple TV+, etc., are going to--whether they like to admit it or not--affect the way they present information for you when it comes to their competitors.”
Panelist Chris Rodriguez is Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer at Revry TV, a leading aggregator of LBGTQ+ streaming content. A producer and entertainment attorney with a background in reality television and digital media, Rodriguez received his bachelor degree in Political Science from UCLA in 2007. The recipient of the 2008 Scholar’s Award to Loyola Law School, Christopher went on to graduate with his Juris Doctorate degree in 2011.
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