Why Paramount upended the ratings calendar, what billion-dollar global FAST channel play Pluto brings to market – and how advertisers can shift product and gain reach

Free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels are going to keep viewers in Paramount’s ecosystem watching for longer, the network has bet via its upfront last week, unveiling a wave of new partnerships, products, shows and – crucially – a longer content slate. While competitors roll out male-skewed audiences over summer, Paramount will run The Bachelors, following The Challenge in December. “It’s tactical – moving here when they go there,” EVP and Chief Content Officer Beverley McGarvey says. She’s eyeing early wins and a bigger share of budgets. With PlutoTV’s extra channels through 10 Play, advertisers – especially those embedded in shows – will see incremental reach as key viewers keep watching. And as well as a tonne more inventory around dedicated channels – MasterChef and Survivor channels for example, pulling in series from around the world – Paramount’s going back to the future, as those channels will be curated in a bid to keep audiences glued to the channel, and therefore the commercials. There’s also e-commerce through Twitter, viewers choosing their own ads, automated content recognition through Samba TV and dynamic ads. Sales chief Rod Prosser now has more wares to sell, and expects “big take up”.

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