Project Summary:
Client:
Wurl
Role(s):
Product Design
Product Management
UX Design
Team:
2 PMs
7 Engineers
2 DevOps
Client: Wurl // Role: Product Design + Product Management + Project Management
Content Studios:
The rise of cord-cutting led to a substantial decline in traditional pay-TV subscriptions. In 2017, approximately 22.2 million U.S. households had canceled their pay-TV services, a trend that continued to accelerate in subsequent years. This shift compelled content studios to seek alternative distribution channels to maintain and grow their audience reach. The emergence of FAST platforms provided a viable solution, offering studios the opportunity to distribute content without relying solely on subscription-based models.
Distribution Platforms:
Streaming platforms also experienced rapid growth between 2017 and today, with services like Plex who currently offer nearly 600 channels in the U.S. alone. This expansion introduced many new challenges with sourcing and integrating diverse, high-quality content efficiently. The process of acquiring content from multiple providers was resource-intensive and technically complex, hindering each platforms' ability to rapidly scale and meet evolving audience needs.
Client: Wurl // Role: Product Design + Product Management + Project Management
In 2017, as cord-cutting continued to grow, content studios and distribution platforms were in desperate need of efficient, scalable solutions to enter the FAST space and monetize in effective ways across a fragmented global landscape. Each of their primary challenges included:
Content Studios
Fragmented Distribution
With multiple streaming platforms emerging, studios faced the technical complexity of managing individual integrations for each service.
Revenue Uncertainty
Traditional revenue from pay-TV bundles was in decline, and studios were unsure how to monetize their back catalogs on digital platforms without subscription fees.
Limited Global Reach
Studios sought to expand their content distribution globally but lacked an efficient way to reach audiences on international FAST platforms.
Distribution Platforms
Complex Content Integration
Platforms needed to onboard channels from multiple providers, each requiring unique technical solutions.
Content Variety
Expanding the diversity of available channels to meet growing viewer expectations was time-consuming and expensive.
Monetization through Ads
Platforms needed scalable solutions to maximize ad revenue without compromising user experience.
Client: Wurl // Role: Product Design + Product Management + Project Management
Wurl’s Global FAST Pass addressed the critical challenges faced by both content studios and distribution platforms, creating a seamless bridge between content creation and delivery. By offering a unified solution, Wurl streamlined the complexities of global content distribution and monetization for studios while enabling platforms to scale their offerings efficiently.
Unified Channel Onboarding
For content studios, Wurl simplified the process of distributing content to multiple FAST platforms like Samsung TV Plus, Vizio WatchFree, Roku, and Pluto TV, eliminating the need for separate, custom, technical integrations. For platforms, it standardized the channel onboarding process, reducing the technical and operational burden.
Ad-Supported Monetization
Content studios benefited from Wurl’s integration of dynamic ad insertion (DAI), which maximized ad revenue potential by delivering personalized ads in real time. Distribution platforms gained access to ad-optimized content, increasing their ability to monetize viewership and capture a share of the $11.9 billion U.S. digital video ad market in 2017.
Global Content Expansion
Wurl’s platform enabled content studios to program and distribute their content internationally with minimal effort, expanding their reach to entirely new audiences. Distribution platforms were able to onboard a diverse array of content from both domestic and global studios, enhancing their appeal to viewers and advertisers.
Real-Time Data Insights
Studios received actionable analytics on audience engagement and ad performance, helping them refine their content and programming strategies. Distribution platforms gained insights into viewer behavior and content popularity, allowing them to make data-driven decisions about their programming and ad inventory.
Client: Wurl // Role: Product Design + Product Management + Project Management
Wurl’s Global FAST Pass empowered content studios by simplifying content distribution and maximizing revenue opportunities through ad-supported streaming.
Efficient Content Ingestion
Studios could upload their video libraries to Wurl’s cloud-based platform, ensuring their content was quickly formatted for delivery to multiple FAST platforms without needing significant technical resources
Wurl quickly transformed raw content into 24/7 linear FAST channels, integrating dynamic ad insertion (DAI) to ensure seamless monetization.
Expanded Reach
With a single integration, studios could distribute their channels globally to platforms like Samsung TV Plus, Vizio WatchFree, and Pluto TV, significantly increasing their audience
Revenue Maximization
Dynamic ad insertion optimized ad placement, allowing studios to generate more revenue from their back catalogs and new content
Real-Time Content Insights
Studios received actionable analytics on audience engagement, viewership trends, and ad performance, enabling them to refine their content strategies for better engagement and retention
Client: Wurl // Role: Product Design + Product Management + Project Management
Wurl’s Global FAST Pass simplified channel onboarding for distribution platforms, enabling them to scale their content libraries quickly and improve viewer engagement.
Streamlined Channel Onboarding
Platforms could integrate multiple linear FAST channels from diverse content providers with a single, standardized technical setup, reducing operational complexity
Monetization-Ready Content
Delivered channels were pre-configured with relevant ad markup that allowed platforms to immediately maximize ad revenue without any additional effort
Global Content Library Expansion
Platforms could access a broader range of content from international and domestic studios, meeting the growing demand for diverse programming
Viewer Engagement Optimization
Pre-packaged, high-quality content kept audiences engaged longer, improving retention and satisfaction
Real-Time Platform Insights
Platforms gained access to analytics on content performance, viewer behavior, and ad delivery, enabling them to make educating programming and ad inventory decisions
Client: Wurl // Role: Product Design + Product Management + Project Management
Wurl’s Global FAST Pass revolutionized the streaming ecosystem by bridging the gap between content studios and distribution platforms, delivering measurable improvements in reach, engagement, and revenue. By enabling content studios to seamlessly distribute and monetize their channels while helping platforms expand their libraries and maximize ad revenue, Wurl positioned itself as a transformative force in the rapidly growing FAST market
For Content Studios...
Expanded Global Reach
By utilizing Wurl's platform, studios were able to access extensive audiences across multiple streaming services. For instance, Samsung TV Plus reported 88M monthly active users worldwide as of October 2024 marking a growth of nearly 110% since 2020
Increased Viewing Time
Studios experienced substantial growth in viewer engagement. Candlelight Media Group, for example, achieved a 4.5x increase in hours of viewing (HOV) after implementing Global FAST Pass
Revenue Growth
The integration of server-side dynamic ad insertion (SSDAI) enabled studios to capitalize on the expanding digital video ad market, valued at $11.9B in 2017 and expected to grow to $97B by 2025
For Distribution Platforms...
Enhanced Content Libraries
Platforms like Vizio's WatchFree have rapidly expanded their channel offerings through partnerships facilitated by Wurl, providing viewers with a diverse array of programming
Improved Viewer Engagement
Access to a broader range of high-quality content has led to increased user engagement. Samsung TV Plus, for instance, reported a 50% year-over-year increase in global viewership, with significant growth among viewers aged 18-49
Increased Ad Revenues
The delivery of ad-supported content optimized with DAI has allowed platforms to maximize ad impressions and revenue, contributing to the overall growth of the FAST market