Sun Sep 15 15:00:00 UTC 2024: ## Bloomberg Embraces FAST News: A Journey From Print to Streaming

Bloomberg Media, known for its multi-platform presence, has successfully transitioned to offering free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) news content. Their journey began with Bloomberg TV, a cable network launched nearly 30 years ago, providing a foundation for their video production capabilities. This, along with their existing radio stations, podcasts, print publications, and website, allowed for a natural progression to TV streaming.

Bloomberg TV Plus, their 4K-enabled streaming product, features enhanced graphics and information, offering a high-quality news experience. While this move was exciting, it also presented challenges, particularly in ad sales strategy. Bloomberg, traditionally a display advertising-driven business, had to adapt to the demands of selling streaming video inventory.

Despite these challenges, Bloomberg capitalized on their multi-platform foundation, leveraging their existing resources and overcoming internal hurdles. The company’s experience echoes the current trend of legacy media news broadcasters entering the FAST news space, with notable examples including Scripps, Sinclair, Hearst, and USA Today.

The rise of FAST news is particularly relevant this year due to the numerous global elections taking place, including in the U.S., U.K., and India. The BBC News FAST channel launch, timed perfectly for this event, is now available on platforms like Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, and Xumo Play.

Other players like CNN Max, launching on September 27th, are also vying for a piece of the FAST news market, highlighting the growing importance of this format in the evolving media landscape.

Read More