AVOD/FAST Summit Americas at MIP Cancun: monetization, new buyers and innovative projects

Nicolás Smirnoff, director of Prensario Internacional, will host the venue, after choosing/following the panelists one by one. He points out: ‘what matters most in this new digital era is monetization, to generate profitability with new projects. Otherwise, everything is anecdotal. This year’s Summit is specifically aimed at showing how large AVOD/FAST platforms, innovative digital players and broadcasters launching their own OTTs, manage to generate revenues that exceed their costs. As simple and as difficult as that.

The initial talk on trends will be led by Gloria Salo Benito, from GECA Spain, who will analyze the ‘last mile’ of the evolution of digital platforms globally and in Latin America: which platform is growing the most, with what support, etc. It includes the experience of its OTT barometer in Colombia, therefore precise local references will abbound.

New projects and buyers to be unveiled at the summit? Janaina Tadeu, from LG Channels, the manufacturer of monitors and TV sets, has just launched its content platform in Latin America; Copyright Capital, with its CEO Jack Ojalvo: a strong YouTube programmer and, at the same time, an investment fund focused on content projects; Vanquish Sports Media, with Fernanda Tochi, a sports branded content agency that now also co-produces along the Americas; MyCodeMedia/Butaca TV, with María Luz Zucchela as buyer, with  its AVOD platform and a high-end branded content player, launching a strong new FAST channel.

Caracol Colombia, with its new acquisitions manager María Zuleta, who has just launched its AVOD Caracol Mix; José Navarro, programming manager of TVN Panama, who develops its own AVOD platform; Gabriela Rodríguez, VP Content of R Media/Canal 11 Honduras, who is in charge of launching the AVOD of the Cablecolor Media Group, will also describe simple digital tools that it already uses to generate income; and Goyo Garcia, digital manager of SBT Brazil, who this year has relaunched its AVOD/FAST platform.

There is also Amagi, the well-known AVOD/FAST solutions platform, with Rolando Dias, its Latam manager, joining the summit for the first time to describe its specific digital advertising and monetization program; and Filmrise, a strong all-inclusive player in digital, with Alejandro Veciana, its Senior content sales manager: its own AVOD/FAST platform, solutions provider, etc. They will be  joined by Globoplay, which is contributing Jennifer Gonçalvez, Innovation Analyst FAST Channels, for the first time; and Jordan Warkol, VP Business Development of OTTera, always a pioneer and benchmark in the development of AVOD/FAST in Latin America.

Among the new AVOD/FAST ventures to be alsoannounced, Star TV, the 3rd satellite TV platform in Mexico earlier focused on rural areas, now is launching its own OTT to compete in urban areas. Another important innovation in the format of the event this year is that, at the end of the panels, rotating round tables will be held between the panelists and the attendees, in order to interact safely with them. ‘This Summit will be a great experience, a good contribution to the entire content industry’, summarizes Smirnoff.

At MIP Cancun 2024, it will be worth paying attention to the AVOD/FAST Summit Americas:its 2^nd. Season will be held on November 19^th: with focus on ‘Monetization’, unveiling 8-9 new AVOD/FAST projects in Latin America, several of them just emerging or taking shape. And, several new or lesser-known buyers will attend as panelists, promoting innovative digital business models. Broadcasters, at the same time, are very well represented in their evolution to AVOD/FAST.