At the recently concluded BMA webinar, “From Spots to Streams: How Broadcasters Can Monetise Across Linear, OTT and FAST Platforms,” held on the 20th January 2026, Jeff Schon, CEO of Akili Network TV, highlighted the critical need for broadcasters to prioritise content ownership over licensing to navigate the rapidly evolving digital distribution environment.
Schon emphasised that the emergence of new platforms, such as Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST), has made content ownership a crucial consideration. According to Schon, “If I don’t own the content and I’m licensing the content, what I’ve seen just in five years in the marketplace… fast wasn’t a thing”.
The CEO noted that ownership provides greater control over distribution, stating, “If I own the content, I wouldn’t have to worry about what different platforms I choose to distribute the content on”. Akili Network TV’s strategy moving forward is to focus on “producing or paying for the production of more content that we own all rights to in a particular territory,” with a minimum target territory being Sub-Saharan Africa. For in-house content, the company aims for global rights.
Schon also addressed how new distribution platforms are fundamentally changing content production. He specifically pointed to a shift away from traditional half-hour or hour-long programming toward shorter-form content, such as two, three, or seven-minute segments. This change is redefining the types of content consumers seek across platforms.
The webinar, “From Spots to Streams: How Broadcasters Can Monetise Across Linear, OTT and FAST Platforms,” explored strategies for broadcasters to optimise monetisation across various media channels.
To watch the highlight from the webinar, click here.
You can also get access to the full webinar here.
