MAM
RunnTV Introduces Rewind Feature for FAST Channels
FAST, the four letter the streaming world is obsessed with, has become the golden child of the entertainment industry. Free Ad-supported Streaming Television is offering viewers a channel surfing experience without burdening their pockets. Despite its rapid growth and popularity, FAST comes with one big limitation: a rigid linearity.
If the viewer misses the first ten minutes of a drama or a movie, it is gone and lost to the data stream.
Meanwhile, RunnTV has taken a revolutionary move by officially launching its industry-first feature. This Time shift feature, known as “Rewind,” enables viewers to scroll back through live streams on FAST Channels. This effectively brings DRV-like flexibility to a platform that was once “watch-it-or-miss-it”.
Core Details of the Launch
FAST platforms have emerged as one of the rapidly growing streaming categories, supported by audiences seeking a free alternative to premium OTT services. Despite their expansion, many FAST platforms are still offering a mirror, conventional linear television experience. In the meantime, RunnTV has entered a new phase where free streaming televisions are smarter, more attractive, and less dependent on a fixed schedule.
• Availability: To date, it has been rolled out across specific channels on RunnTV, with a plan to widely roll out in the coming time.
• Functionality: Users can move backwards within a live stream to watch recently aired programs.
• Technology: PlayStudio, an in-house FAST and OTT infrastructure platform, has developed this technology. This proves that significant streaming landscapes are obsessed with user retention and convenience.
• Licensing: For integration of its own ecosystem, RunnTV is making this timeframe update available to FAST operators, streaming platforms, and other broadcasters.
The update addresses the limitations of FAST platforms by ensuring the convenience of on-demand streaming with live but ad-supported television. Though RunnTV has brought this high-tech feature to official channels only, Pikashow is still known as the champion for offering an incredible amount of content with variety, ease of use, and no barrier to entry.
How this Matter for the FAST Ecosystem?
RunnTV is planning to expand this tech to other broadcasters to drive a domino effect across the entertainment industry.
- Better Retention Stats
Spin within a session is the biggest challenge for FAST platforms. When viewers arrive late, they are likely to turn over the channel. In comparison, this rewind button enhances the stickiness of each channel and allows them to start a movie from the beginning.
- A New Age of Smart Linear TV
The launch of the rewind update leads the new era of FAST 2.0. The first one was about volume to get as many channels as possible onto a smart television. The second phase is all about user experience.
- Data and Personalization
The ‘rewinds’ provide a data point about what the content is worth watching for a second time. This level of interaction is beneficial for content curators and advertisers to understand what truly catches the audience’s attention.
- Connecting Different Generations
The older generation values the simplicity of linear channels, while the younger audience prefers control. This time-shift feature comes with a group, appealing to both generations, by making FAST a primary source of entertainment for an entire household.
RunnTV has challenged the notion of “free means basic” by popularizing high-quality streaming that was once reserved for paid streamers or high-end cable boxes.
Final Words
In the race between traditional TV simplicity and streaming convenience, RunnTV explores additional enhancements to further merge on-demand viewing behavior with live television. The new update, the Rewind, allows viewers to experience live FAST channels, which were traditionally worked on a real-time schedule.
So next time, when you are late, just “rewind”.
