Tag: OTT.X

Speakers at Annual OTT.X Breakfast Focus on Streaming’s Growing Ad Business

LAS VEGAS — With a nod to the rise in ad-supported streaming, this year’s OTT.X breakfast presentation on the opening day of CES 2026 focused on the burgeoning advertising market.

The overarching message from speakers at the Jan. 6 event at the Stirling Club, just across the street from the Las Vegas Convention Center, is that the industry needs to get better at pairing the right ads with the right viewers at the right times — and avoid mishaps like showing the same ad repeatedly, over and over again.

Pieter de Zwart, director of advertising engineering for Amazon Ads, joked that when he was watching a baseball game last year, he saw the same ad from the same trucking company a total of 14 times.

In de Zwart’s presentation, “The Future of Streaming TV Advertising: AI, Authenticity, and Audience Connection,” the executive noted that as fragmentation across streaming intensifies, scale and relevance are being rebuilt around smarter tools and intelligence. He talked about how AI-driven insights and dynamic creative are transforming streaming advertising reach, measurement and audience connection.

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“Over the last year, we have deployed a lot of solutions,” he said — including Brand+ and Performance+, two powerful tools within the AI-powered Amazon DSP marketing suite. Brand+ is focused on building brand awareness and fostering engagement, while Performance+ is aimed at driving conversions. These solutions leverage machine learning and AI to simplify campaign optimization, helping advertisers reach the right customers and achieve better outcomes.

The DSP suite also includes Creative Agent, an AI tool that acts as a creative partner and strategist, using conversational guidance and Amazon’s data signals to generate advertising content, and Live Events Optimizer, a new data-powered, turnkey programmatic offering that enables advertisers to capture audiences during the most valuable live moments while optimizing for performance.

“I strongly believe that if we focus on the fundamentals of digital advertising, and we all lean in a little bit together, we can create a rising tide, which will float each of our individual boats. We need to create more liquidity in the digital advertising marketplace,” he said. “It starts with activating more advertisers, exposing more inventory, and exchanging better signals before and after the impression. And the last thing is running price-based, dense options.

“If we do this, I actually believe that everything is going to get better for everyone.”

On another panel discussion called “Contextualized Advertising: Unlocking Smarter Monetization Through AI and Data,” the focus was on how cloud, automation and AI are converging to create flexible, intelligent and deeply personalized media ecosystems. In contextualized advertising, ads are shown based on the content and context of what someone is viewing right now, rather than on their personal data or past behavior.

Paul Claussen, director of strategic partnerships and business development at Comcast Technology Solutions, talked up his company’s VideoAI, a comprehensive framework of intelligent technologies that deliver greater advertising efficiency and streamlined operations. VideoAI scans every component of content — words, pictures, sounds — and provides actionable metadata for applications, including segmentation, contextual advertising and quick preparation of live events.

This helps with monetization, Claussen said, by answering “basic questions such as where should ads go in the content and, once you know where the ads should go, what are the best ads to put there to optimize the value of the spots.”

“It’s all about delivering the best ads to the right person at the right time, and maximizing the value of the opportunity,” added Spencer Kuhn, platform sales leader at FreeWheel, a Comcast company that provides comprehensive media buying platforms for publishers, advertisers and ad buyers.

Other panels and presentations at the OTT.X breakfast included “Second-Screen Engagement Dynamics in CTV Advertising,” which explored how second-screen engagement introduces measurable action into CTV, enabling outcome-based value layers that complement CPM; “Future Media Platform: AI-Driven, Cloud-Native, and Personalized,” about how next-generation infrastructure is redefining workflows, content delivery, and audience engagement across the global media landscape; and “The New Economics of Global Content Distribution: Windowing, Rights, and Platform Optimization in 2026.”

Parks Associates also presented its latest annual State of Streaming report.

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OTT.X Unveils New Logo, Working Group Plans

The trade association OTT.X unveiled a new logo and plans for new working groups during its fall summit Oct. 22 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

“I am really inspired by how many of you I see in the room,” said new OTT.X president Hollie Choi in her opening remarks at the event. “This is a vibrant community with a lot of engagement.”

The new logo moves the dot up, transforming it into a play button, which better exemplifies the mission of the organization, executives said.

Choi also told the audience about future plans for OTT.X and its goals.

“At OTT.X, we sort of talk a lot about value,” she said. “What value are we bringing to the community? And what we think is the answer to that is we are here to help you connect, learn and solve.”

As part of that mission of solving the industry’s problems, OTT.X is organizing working groups. The EPG standards and live events working group is in progress in partnership with Movielabs and DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group. An advertising working group is being headed up by Craig Heiting, CRO of AdGood. And an AI working group is in the process of forming.

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OTT.X Summit 2025: AI, Data and Creator Content

Streaming trade association OTT.X held its annual Summit at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles Oct. 22 in tandem with the fourth annual Entertainment Evolution Symposium, presented by the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School’s Institute for Entertainment, Media, and Sports (IEMS). The single-day event featured two tracks of conference programming, workshops and breakout sessions, exhibitor booths and tabletops, one-on-one pre-scheduled business meetings, and networking breakfasts, lunches, and cocktail parties. Speakers at the event discussed topics such as the creator economy and the rise of short-form content, the omnipresence of AI, and FAST advertising measurements. (Photos by Media Play News staff.)

OTT.X Summit Speakers Mull Increasingly Competitive and Complicated Streaming Landscape

Panelists and speakers mulled the increasingly competitive and complicated landscape of the streaming marketplace at the OTT.X fall summit Oct. 22 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

With FAST channels proliferating, creators/influencers moving into the marketplace, and the big guys expanding their footprint in the advertising ecosystem, the competition for advertiser dollars is fierce, speakers said.

At the same time, Wall Street is taking a harder look at financials and raising the bar. “Wall street believes that you compete with YouTube and Amazon,” said keynote speaker Laura Martin, managing director of Needham & Company.

“There’s excess supply” of advertising space on connected TV, she noted, adding that “there’s a lot of FAST channels, probably need some consolidation.”

The financial markets are looking for diversified revenue streams, including subscriptions, advertising, e-commerce and possibly data sales. She joked, “Someone should buy Roku for its data and just shut down their streaming business,” in emphasizing Wall Street’s focus on monetization.

Netflix, she said, is moving too slow, pointing to its stock drop the day before after it released financials that missed guidance. One of the positive developments Netflix announced was the move into interactive shows, she said. Wall Street wants more interactivity, “more voting shows, more reality,” she emphasized.

She noted that creators/influencers are coming to the FAST marketplace, competing with the established channels and “blurring the edge” of amateur and professional content.

Advertising CPM (cost per thousand views) metrics are dropping, she said, as the ad inventory grows.

Many other panelists noted the glut of advertising inventory.

“The market is maturing,” said John Marchesini, co-founder and COO of Indicue, on another panel. “There’ll be CPM pressures.”

While FAST channel and other digital content distributors were previously focused on casting a wide net for their content, they are now focusing on viewer engagement, panelists said.

“How do we make sure a viewer comes back regularly,” said Kyle Espinosa, VP of global programming and analytics for Fremantle. He said the glut of channels makes for a “challenging market.”

Radial Entertainment, the newly minted company comprised of the Shout! Studios and FilmRise brands, is focused on acquiring “major, meaningful, quality content,” as well as global expansion, said Paige Sherman, director of FAST distribution.

Likewise, Xumo is trying “to get more audience reach and scale,” said Jiro Egawa, chief operating officer. The company is also, conversely, trying to get cable companies to take FAST channels.

Cameron Douglas

Cameron Douglas, SVP of OTT streaming for Fandango, noted that the company’s transactional digital business is a “stable, flat to slightly growing business,” but that the AVOD and FAST marketplace is a more complicated monetization prospect.

“It’s why a lot of people are still unprofitable in the space,” he said.

Among the coming changes in the FAST marketplace, panelists said live streaming will be a major development.

Panelists noted that the very character of entertainment may change, with short-form programming ascendant.

Erick Opeka

Cineverse’s president and chief strategy officer Erick Opeka called short-form programming part of “one of the biggest transformations in media that has probably happened in all of our lifetimes.” He noted the extensive consumption of “microdramas” in China.

Many panelists addressed the hot topic of artificial intelligence.

Jonathan Moffie, co-founder and CEO for Streamer.ai, mused about a fast-acting AI ad creation that would be able to react immediately to the content that appears before it. For instance, after the famous “Red Wedding” scene in “Game of Thrones” the ad could pitch wedding assistance, he said.

Others stressed the need for a human touch or human editor to oversee AI decisions.

“I call it the gut check,” said Matchpoint EVP of technology and GM Michele Edelman. “AI still needs a gut check.”

Panelists also discussed the possibility of AI assistance in discovery and search — still a problem.

Many noted that more access to aggregated industry data would help AI and content owners to better target and program streaming channels. But in a fragmented marketplace, with data behind walled gardens at different platforms, that aggregation is difficult.

“Media can’t work without transparency,” said Melva Benoit, VP of content and sports sales for VideoAmp.

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Analyst Laura Martin to Keynote Oct. 22 OTT.X Summit

Industry analyst Laura Martin, managing director at Needham & Company, will deliver a keynote address at the 2025 OTT.X Summit at the Skirball Cultural Center Oct. 22 in Los Angeles.

She will offer a data-driven breakdown of the streaming, CTV, and OTT landscape, addressing “Top Growth Plays,” the sectors Wall Street says will surge next; “Monetization Winners,” the business models pulling ahead of the pack; “Market Disruptors,” who’s set to shake up streaming and steal share; and “Investor Intel,” how financial markets are sizing up content, platforms, and ads.

She will unpack what’s driving growth, where the risks are hiding, and what investors are betting on for the future of streaming, CTV and OTT.

In addition to Martin, other keynoters include TVREV’s Alan Wolk; Activision’s Josh Taub; and producer, creator and podcast host Melissa Rivers.

The OTT.X Summit is an annual gathering for professionals across the digital distribution ecosystem, bringing together studios, streamers, platforms, content creators and tech innovators. 

The theme for the 2025 Fall Summit, “The Future Is Wide Open,” reflects a new reality, according to OTT.X: Distribution is no longer confined to a handful of studios and services; the path to audiences is more varied, more creative, and more open than ever.

Topics at the event will be “The Evolving Economics of Entertainment Distribution”; “Reinvigorating Fan Engagement through Large Format/Community Experiences”; “CTV Meets UGC: How Content Creators and Short Form are Redefining the Future of TV”; “The FAST & the Formidable: Leading Content Providers on Growth & Strategy”; “Behind the Curtain: How the CTV Ad Stack is Powering the Future of Streaming Advertising”; “Eyes on AI: Innovation at the Intersection of Content and Data”; and “The Advertiser’s Playbook for CTV & OTT.”

This year, OTT.X and Pepperdine Graziadio Institute for Entertainment, Media and Sports (IEMS) have joined forces to present the OTT.X Summit alongside the 4th annual Entertainment Evolution Symposium (EES). EES is a future-focused symposium exploring how creators, companies, and cultures are rewriting the rules of entertainment in real-time.

Those interested in attending can register here.

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TVREV’s Alan Wolk to Deliver Keynote at 2025 OTT.X Summit Oct. 22

TVREV’s Alan Wolk will deliver the keynote address “The Rise of Feudal Media in Entertainment” at the 2025 OTT.X Summit Oct. 22 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

The keynote session will address how the entertainment ecosystem is undergoing a profound transformation with the rise of what Wolk, co-founder and lead analyst for TVREV, has termed “feudal media” — podcasts, Substacks, TikTok channels, and other independent platforms that cultivate deeply loyal communities within self-contained worlds.

The affinity for these versatile platforms garners an intensity and passion that traditional media often struggles to command, according to Wolk. Yet most fans inside these ecosystems remain largely unaware of the broader entertainment universe beyond their chosen domain. Wolk will discuss what this fragmentation means for media and entertainment at large and explore how companies can evolve beyond seeing these platforms as merely “social” or “marketing,” and instead integrate them into sustainable monetization models that better reflect the dynamics of artists, fans, and long-term value creation.

Wolk is the author of Over The Top. How The Internet Is (Slowly But Surely) Changing the Television Industry. A contributing writer to multiple industry news sites, Wolk has been interviewed and quoted by outlets from NPR to The New York Times. He is a frequent guest on Cheddar TV, offering expert opinions on breaking stories in the media industry.

In addition to Wolk, other keynoters include analyst Laura Neeham of Needham and Company; Activision’s Josh Taub; and producer, creator and podcast host Melissa Rivers.

The OTT.X Summit is an annual gathering for professionals across the digital distribution ecosystem, bringing together studios, streamers, platforms, content creators and tech innovators. 

The theme for the 2025 Fall Summit, “The Future Is Wide Open,” reflects a new reality, according to OTT.X: Distribution is no longer confined to a handful of studios and services; the path to audiences is more varied, more creative, and more open than ever.

Topics at the event will be “The Evolving Economics of Entertainment Distribution”; “Reinvigorating Fan Engagement through Large Format/Community Experiences”; “CTV Meets UGC: How Content Creators and Short Form are Redefining the Future of TV”; “The FAST & the Formidable: Leading Content Providers on Growth & Strategy”; “Behind the Curtain: How the CTV Ad Stack is Powering the Future of Streaming Advertising”; “Eyes on AI: Innovation at the Intersection of Content and Data”; and “The Advertiser’s Playbook for CTV & OTT.”

This year, OTT.X and Pepperdine Graziadio Institute for Entertainment, Media and Sports (IEMS) have joined forces to present the OTT.X Summit alongside the 4th annual Entertainment Evolution Symposium (EES). EES is a future-focused symposium exploring how creators, companies, and cultures are rewriting the rules of entertainment in real-time.

Register here.

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2025 OTT.X Summit Taking Place Oct. 22 in Los Angeles

OTT.X has announced that it will host its 7th Annual Fall Summit on Oct. 22 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

The OTT.X Summit is an annual gathering for professionals across the digital distribution ecosystem, bringing together studios, streamers, platforms, content creators and tech innovators. 

The theme for the 2025 Fall Summit, “The Future Is Wide Open,” reflects a new reality, according to OTT.X: Distribution is no longer confined to a handful of studios and services; the path to audiences is more varied, more creative, and more open than ever.

Topics at the event will be “The Evolving Economics of Entertainment Distribution”; “Reinvigorating Fan Engagement through Large Format/Community Experiences”; “CTV Meets UGC: How Content Creators and Short Form are Redefining the Future of TV”; “The FAST & the Formidable: Leading Content Providers on Growth & Strategy”; “Behind the Curtain: How the CTV Ad Stack is Powering the Future of Streaming Advertising”; “Eyes on AI: Innovation at the Intersection of Content and Data”; and “The Advertiser’s Playbook for CTV & OTT.”

This year, OTT.X and Pepperdine Graziadio Institute for Entertainment, Media and Sports (IEMS) have joined forces to present the OTT.X Summit alongside the 4th annual Entertainment Evolution Symposium (EES). EES is a future-focused symposium exploring how creators, companies, and cultures are rewriting the rules of entertainment in real-time.

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Confirmed participants include:

  • Alan Wolk, co-founder and lead analyst, TVREV
  • Laura Martin, managing director, senior internet and media analyst, Needham & Company
  • Eric Iverson, partner and chief technology officer, United Talent Agency
  • Jiro Egawa, SVP of platform growth and monetization
  • Jill Goldfarb, SVP, streaming TV, TMB
  • Lisa Herdman, SVP, executive director, video investment and marketplace intelligence, RPA
  • Gary Mittman, CEO, KERV
  • Joe Ochoa, co-founder, Creator Television
  • Paul Pastor, co-founder and chief business officer, Quickplay
  • Paige Sherman, director, FAST distribution, Radial Entertainment

Streaming Trade Groups OTT.X, ISA to Merge

OTT.X and the Independent Streaming Alliance (ISA), two trade associations for the streaming business, have announced plans to merge in a move they say is “designed to amplify their collective impact on the digital entertainment ecosystem.”

OTT.X, previously the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) and, before that, the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA), has long championed the voices of small and mid-sized companies in the entertainment industry, largely through conferences that provide opportunities for networking and learning.

The ISA was formed in June 2023 by Cineverse, Future Today, kweliTV, Revry, The E.W. Scripps Co., Tastemade, TMB (Trusted Media Brands), the now-defunct Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, and Vevo. Five new members subsequently came aboard: FilmRise, Gusto TV, Gunpowder & Sky, DangerTV and Graham Media.

OTT.X will be the parent in the merged organization. As part of OTT.X, ISA will gain access to expanded industry relationships, established programming, and a broader platform to serve its members. ISA’s working groups and advocacy initiatives will integrate with the OTT.X core mission to Connect, Learn, and Solve.

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“OTT.X and ISA share a goal of strengthening the streaming industry using data driven research and collaborative problem solving,” said Hollie Choi, president and CEO of OTT.X. “By joining forces, we’re increasing our capacity to elevate and help grow underrepresented organizations. ISA is an integral part of the OTT.X community. Members of OTT.X will be able to learn from the thought leadership and join existing working groups focused on solving industry problems.”

“This merger is a powerful step forward for independent streamers,” said Cameron Saless, chairperson of the Independent Streaming Alliance. “When we launched ISA, our mission was to elevate the voices of independent platforms and champion our unique challenges and opportunities. This merger will offer members expanded opportunities to collaborate and hopefully help the industry make progress on significant challenges we face such as channel discovery, programmatic advertising transparency, audience measurement and equitable access to content and monetization opportunities.”

Streaming Trade Association OTT.X Announces 12 New Member Companies

OTT.X on March 19 announced the addition of 12 new member companies the streaming trade association says “are shaping the future of OTT, CTV, and streaming.”

New member companies include Amazon Web Services (AWS), home entertainment heavyweight Alliance Entertainment, research house Parks Associates, and independent film distributors Giant Pictures and Xenon Entertainment.

Also joining OTT.X are Deliver Films, a technical services company catering to the film studio and distribution market; EX.CO, a multichannel video technology platform; GoGo CTV, which provides services to boost streaming platforms’ ad business; Molten Cloud, whose cloud-based solutions are intended to simplify essential operations of media and entertainment businesses; Qortex, an AI-powered platform that provides businesses with actionable insights that directly link video to performance outcomes; Streaming Ink Media, a production, technology and distribution company with a primary focus on animated comedy content for the 14+ demographic; and Visaic, a pioneer in sports media technology.

 

OTT.X to Return to NAB Show in April With Annual Member Breakfast

Streaming trade association OTT.X will return to the NAB Show in Las Vegas April 6 for its annual member breakfast at the Stirling Club, near the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The annual affair provides members with networking opportunities, presentations focusing on the year ahead, and a live OTT.X Buzz session. The OTT.X Buzz is a roundtable with industry leaders, generally held via Zoom, in which they share their thoughts and opinions on recent news developments in the streaming world.

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The OTT.X breakfast is aimed at operators of FAST channels and network platforms, digital retailers, producers, aggregators, service providers, digital technology companies and advertisers.

Admission is exclusive to, and free for, OTT.X members and select invited guests. Advance registrations are required and may be accessed here.

This year’s agenda:

“AI & Streaming: Monetization, Operations & Business Impact” — Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the streaming industry, not just in content recommendations but across monetization, ad optimization, and operational efficiencies. Streaming platforms leveraging AI-based personalization see an average engagement boost of 30-50%, leading to higher retention and monetization potential. As AI-driven solutions become more sophisticated, the industry faces critical decisions on where and how to implement them for maximum impact.

“The Sports Streaming Landscape: What’s Next?” — Sports remains one of the biggest drivers of live streaming, but with the rise of direct-to-consumer (DTC) platforms, increasing competition for rights, and evolving fan expectations, the landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. The global sports streaming market is expected to surpass $85 billion by 2028, with more leagues and teams launching their own DTC platforms to capitalize on fan loyalty. With world sporting events in the near horizon, we look into what is on the horizon for the fragmented sports streaming landscape.

“Advertising in AVOD & FAST: Addressing Pain Points” — The growth of AVOD and FAST has reshaped the ad industry, offering viewers free content while unlocking new revenue streams for platforms. However, challenges like ad-fill rates, CPM volatility, and data transparency continue to hinder adaptation and long-term scalability. The global FAST market is projected to reach $18 billion by 2027, but ad-fill rates are still below 80%, signaling untapped revenue potential.

OTT.X holds member breakfasts at the Stirling Club each year during CES and NAB. The January 2025 breakfast at CES was highlighted by an introduction to the trade group’s new chief, Hollie Choi, and a research presentation by Elizabeth Parks of Parks Associates.

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