TV channel guides

How sports leagues, clubs, and media companies can use FAST channels to distribute sports content — live vs. VOD rights, replay channels, highlights channels, and the economics of sports FAST.

A complete pre-launch checklist for FAST channel operators: content, technical setup, legal requirements, EPG, monetization, and promotion. Everything to verify before going live.

How FAST channel operators make money — SSAI ad revenue, revenue share models, CPM ranges by market and category, ad fill optimization, and what realistic earnings look like at different audience sizes.

How FAST channel operators license content from third parties — what rights to ask for, typical deal structures, where to find licensable content, and common rights traps to avoid.

Closed caption requirements for FAST channels — FCC rules for online video, which channels must have captions, acceptable caption formats (CEA-608, CEA-708, WebVTT), and how to add captions to your content before going live on Roku and Fire TV.

What HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is, how manifests work, what adaptive bitrate means for your viewers, and what FAST channel operators need to know about their HLS stream without getting a computer science degree.

How to start a FAST channel: pick a free platform, clear rights, upload content, schedule 24/7, and go live on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and the web.

Everything you need to launch a Roku channel — the difference between a branded channel and a FAST channel, Roku's content requirements, the certification process, and how to go live fast without building an app.

A plain-English explanation of Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) for FAST channel operators: how it works, why it matters for TV distribution, the difference between SSAI and client-side ad insertion, and what you need to set it up.