AI-powered FAST channel assembly with ThinkAnalytics on AWS

This post was co-authored by Chris McGuire, SVP Products, ThinkAnalytics.

ThinkAnalytics is an AWS ISV Partner specializing in personalized content discovery, metadata, viewer insight, and targeted advertising for media and entertainment. ThinkAnalytics offers tools for AI-powered content recommendations, channel creation, and scheduling. Major broadcasters and streaming services around the world use the company’s products. At NAB 2024, ThinkAnalytics unveiled a new generative AI-powered FAST scheduling solution—ThinkFAST—powered by AWS Elemental MediaTailor and Amazon Bedrock.

ThinkFAST seamlessly creates new channels from existing content libraries. ThinkAnalytics uses advanced content analysis techniques to create thematic and genre-based channels that resonate with audience interests and preferences.

What is FAST?

Free Ad-supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels offer an alternative to traditional cable and satellite TV, as well as subscription-based streaming services. FAST channels are linear, programmed channels that stream over the internet, similar to cable television, but without the need for a subscription. Instead, FAST channels are supported by advertisements, allowing viewers to access a wide range of content free of charge.

Unlike subscription-based streaming services, which require a monthly fee, FAST channels are free to watch. In addition, FAST channels offer a diverse range of content, from classic movies and TV shows to niche programming catering to specific interests.

FAST channels offer new opportunities for content creators and advertisers. Content owners can monetize their libraries by licensing their content to FAST channel providers, while advertisers can reach a highly engaged audience through targeted advertising.

However, the rapid growth of FAST channels also presents challenges. One key issue is channel assembly, which involves curating and scheduling content in a way that creates a cohesive and engaging viewing experience. This requires a deep understanding of programming strategies and audience preferences. In addition, ad insertion is a complex process, as FAST channels must seamlessly integrate advertisements into their programming without disrupting the viewing experience. Ensuring accurate ad targeting and measurement across multiple platforms and devices is also a challenge in the FAST channel space.

Introducing ThinkFast

ThinkAnalytics’ ThinkFast solution addresses the challenge of channel assembly and ad insertion. The platform streamlines the labor-intensive process of curating and scheduling FAST channels, enabling efficient and cost-effective channel creation. By harnessing advanced content understanding techniques and AI-driven recommendations, ThinkFAST intelligently curates and schedules content, ensuring that the resulting channels resonate with audience interests and preferences.

ThinkFAST intelligent content curation and scheduling capabilities not only optimize channel programming but also simplify complex content refresh strategies. The platform identifies new content and integrates it into existing channels so that viewers are consistently presented with fresh and engaging programming. In addition, ThinkFAST provides insights into new channel creation opportunities based on the latest available content, allowing content providers to stay ahead of the curve and meet evolving audience expectations.

ThinkFAST solution overview

The following diagram depicts an overview of the ThinkFAST architecture.

Fig 1: ThinkFAST high-level architecture.

The diagram illustrates the end-to-end process of creating and delivering FAST channels using ThinkFAST on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Following is a breakdown of the steps involved:

• The process begins with uploading the mezzanine files (source video files) and catalog metadata to an Amazon S3 bucket.
• AWS Elemental MediaConvert transcodes the source video files into different formats and bitrates suitable for streaming.
• After the source video files are transcoded by MediaConvert, they feed into AWS Elemental MediaPackage. MediaPackage is responsible for preparing the content for delivery over the internet by packaging the video and audio data into various streaming formats, such as HLS and DASH.
• ThinkFAST, the core component of the solution, leverages Amazon Bedrock for AI-powered content understanding and channel assembly algorithms to create and schedule thematic and genre-based channels.
• AWS Elemental MediaTailor Channel Assembly is responsible for assembling the scheduled content into linear channels. MediaTailor acts as an orchestration engine, taking the channel programming information generated by ThinkFAST and assembling the individual video assets into a continuous, seamless stream.
• AWS Elemental MediaTailor Ad Insertion integrates advertisements seamlessly into the assembled channels.
• The final channels are delivered to viewers via the Amazon CloudFront content delivery network (CDN) service.

This architecture leverages AWS-managed services, combined with ThinkFAST intelligent channel creation capabilities, to streamline the process of curating, assembling, and delivering FAST channels to viewers efficiently and at scale. ThinkFAST enables content owners to ideate hundreds of data-driven channel concepts in minutes and seamlessly publish polished, audience-targeted streams to major distribution platforms in seconds.

Using generative AI with Amazon Bedrock, ThinkAnalytics creates more personalized and relevant channels to improve audience engagement. One example is generating channel names and descriptions. Using a combination of Large Language Models (LLMs) hosted on Amazon Bedrock, ThinkAnalytics uses content metadata to generate rich, descriptive text that will appeal to target viewer personas and demographics.

The following diagram depicts an example implementation of this workflow using Amazon Bedrock.

Fig 2: ThinkFAST Generative AI workflow.

In this workflow, an AWS Lambda function orchestrates passing channel metadata along with a prompt template to an LLM hosted in Amazon Bedrock. This LLM generates original channel names for the FAST channel. This fully serverless workflow provides a low cost and scalable way to create relevant and unique channels quickly.

Business value

ThinkFAST benefits media companies seeking to capitalize on the growing FAST channel market. By automating the labor-intensive processes of content curation, scheduling, and channel assembly, ThinkFAST cuts operational costs by up to 80%.

AI-driven content understanding, and personalization capabilities ensure that channels align with audience preferences, driving higher engagement and viewership.

The following screenshot depicts a cooking-themed example channel with a generative AI-created name.

Fig 3: AI-generated FAST channel created using ThinkFAST

ThinkFAST integration with AWS Elemental MediaTailor enables rapid time-to-market for new channel launches. Customers can reduce channel creation time by as much as  90%, creating new channels in minutes. This allows media companies to quickly respond to changing viewer demands and stay ahead of the competition. Furthermore, the solution’s ad insertion capabilities unlock new revenue streams through targeted advertising, maximizing the monetization potential of FAST channels.

Conclusion

The rise of FAST channels presents an opportunity for media companies to reach audiences and monetize their content libraries in new ways. However, making the most of this opportunity requires overcoming challenges related to channel assembly, programming, and ad integration. The ThinkFAST solution from ThinkAnalytics, powered by AWS, addresses these challenges through its AI-driven content understanding, channel creation, and ad insertion capabilities.

By leveraging ThinkFAST, media companies can efficiently curate and schedule engaging, personalized channels that resonate with their audiences. The solution’s integration with AWS services ensures scalability, reliability, and rapid deployment, enabling media companies to keep pace in the rapidly evolving FAST channel landscape.

ThinkFAST is available for providers to deploy in their own AWS environment or use it as a fully managed ThinkAnalytics SaaS service. To learn more, contact ThinkAnalytics at sales@thinkanalytics.com or connect with your AWS account representative.

About ThinkAnalytics

ThinkAnalytics is an AWS Partner for media and entertainment specializing in content discovery, viewer analytics, and contextual advertising solutions that empower video service providers, studios, broadcasters, and media companies to deliver personalized experiences to their customers.