Imagine Communications and Amagi Launch Direct Sales Tools for FAST: Transforming Monetization Strategies for Streaming TV

Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV, announced its partnership with Imagine Communications to unveil an innovative FAST monetization solution for direct inventory sales. The combined solution will debut at IBC2023 (Sept. 15-18 at the RAI in Amsterdam). This partnership pioneers ad monetization transformation for FAST by integrating Amagi’s THUNDERSTORM dynamic ad insertion platform with Imagine Communications' SureFire™ video ad server. The solution empowers FAST providers to enhance ad revenue through direct sales placements alongside programmatic and offers advanced, broadcast-quality ad serving.

In an era where FAST companies and broadcasters launch channels with programmatic pipelines as the backbone of their monetization strategy, the industry is experiencing a paradigm shift. As audience engagement flourishes, the potential of direct sales inventory emerges ― offering substantial opportunities for premium sponsorships and advertising collaborations, which in turn lead to higher revenue streams, while simultaneously reducing programmatic costs. This dynamic solution presents an enticing prospect for the industry, with Imagine Communications and Amagi emerging as trailblazers with a transformative approach. 

Amagi THUNDERSTORM offers content monetization at scale through automated ad detection and dynamic ad insertion. Imagine Communications' SureFire, a broadcast-quality ad server, introduces an intuitive user interface that perfectly complements Amagi THUNDERSTORM'S DAI-as-a-service for linear, live, and VOD channels and platforms. The combined solution empowers FAST providers to seamlessly manage and serve direct-sales booking for dynamic use in FAST services.

At IBC2023, Amagi will demonstrate how combining Amagi THUNDERSTORM and Amagi ADS PLUS provides content publishers and streaming platforms a comprehensive toolset to implement advertising strategies with support for new ad formats and better/granular contextual metadata. By combining these capabilities with SureFire's simplified workflows for targeted ad campaigns and user-friendly tracking dashboards, Amagi's FAST customers can establish their direct sales operation with ease, inviting advertisers and sponsorship partners to upload their ads seamlessly. With these ads placed on channels using broadcast-quality standards, connectivity to programmatic demand sources remains unaltered.

Baskar Subramanian, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Amagi, articulated the transformative potential of this collaboration, stating, "Our partnership with Imagine Communications underscores our commitment to empowering customers with solutions that amplify their monetization strategies. The introduction of direct sales tools within the FAST landscape is poised to usher in a new era of revenue optimization."

Tom Cotney, Chief Executive Officer at Imagine Communications, shared his perspective, stating, "Incorporating SureFire's new user interface for easy direct ad sales operations complements Amagi's suite, enriching FAST customers’ revenue by offering direct sales, as well as programmatic monetization capabilities."

As the media landscape evolves and viewer engagement redefines consumption patterns, the collaboration between Imagine Communications and Amagi leads the charge in innovation. Witness the transformative capabilities at the upcoming IBC2023 show in Amsterdam, where Imagine Communications (stand 2.A15) and Amagi (stand 5.A81) will showcase the fusion of direct sales tools with dynamic FAST monetization.

For further insights into Imagine Communications and its portfolio of innovative products, please visit www.imaginecommunications.com. To explore the cutting-edge solutions and technologies offered by Amagi, visit www.amagi.com.

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About Imagine Communications
Imagine Communications empowers the media and entertainment industry through transformative innovation. Broadcasters, networks, video service providers and enterprises around the world rely on our optimized, future-proof, multiscreen video and revenue enablement solutions every day to support their mission-critical operations. Today, nearly half of the world’s video channels traverse our products, and our software solutions drive close to a third of global ad revenue. Through continuous innovation, we are delivering the most advanced IP, cloud-enabled, software-defined network and workflow solutions in the industry. Visit www.imaginecommunications.com for more information, and follow us on Twitter @imagine_comms.

About Amagi
Amagi is a next-generation media technology company that provides cloud broadcast and targeted advertising solutions to broadcast TV and streaming TV platforms. Amagi enables content owners to launch, distribute and monetize live linear channels on Free Ad-supported Streaming TV and video services platforms. Amagi also offers 24x7 cloud-managed services bringing simplicity, advanced automation, and transparency to the entire broadcast operations. Overall, Amagi supports 700+ content brands, 800+ playout chains, and over 2100 channel deliveries on its platform in over 40 countries. Amagi has a presence in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Paris, Melbourne, Seoul, Singapore, and broadcast operations in New Delhi, and an innovation center in Bangalore.