The Desk is an independent news and analysis publication covering the business of broadcasting, streaming, technology, telecom, advertising and media measurement. It delivers original reporting on breaking developments in the streaming wars, policy decisions reshaping the broadcast landscape, and the business of media and technology. The publication differentiates itself by providing serious, sustained coverage of the business side of media, with unique angles and in-depth reporting that aims to produce original journalism without wasting readers' time. Select articles are syndicated to platforms like MSN, Google News, and IMDb, extending its reach and credibility.
Patrick Ferguson
CEO
Alisa Bowen
CEO
Hamid Akhavan
CEO
Kirby Grines
CEO, 43Twenty & Publisher, The Streaming Wars
Matthew Keys
Publisher
Scott Gill
VP of Technology & Operation
Adam Ware
SVP of Growth Networks
Gracenote's latest Data Hub report indicates the global FAST channel market grew to 2,170 channels by July 2026, a 17.5% year-over-year increase. The data highlights a significant surge in news and sports programming, alongside a trend where FAST catalogs contain a higher percentage of recent content compared to major SVOD services.
Viaplay Group has upgraded its Allente pay-TV platform across the Nordic region using the 3SS 3Ready platform and SDMC AI-enabled set-top boxes. The update integrates linear TV, on-demand content, and third-party streaming apps into a unified interface with personalized experience modes.
Hearst Television has promoted Joe Fortunato to the newly created role of Vice President of Revenue to oversee multiplatform advertising strategies. Fortunato will lead revenue growth initiatives across broadcast, streaming, and CTV, with a specific focus on addressable advertising and AI-powered sales transformation.
A coalition of low-power television (LPTV) advocates, including XGN and Tyche Media, has petitioned the FCC to permit the voluntary adoption of the 3GPP 5G Broadcast standard as an alternative to ATSC 1.0 and 3.0. The proposed regulatory change would mandate a 720p linear stream and the reservation of at least 2 MHz of bandwidth for public safety applications.
Parks Associates research indicates that U.S. pay TV penetration is stabilizing in the low-50s as consumers favor skinny bundles over traditional large-channel packages. The findings highlight an industry-wide transition where operators are urged to evolve into entertainment aggregators to retain younger, tech-forward households.
The BBC is conducting a large-scale low-latency streaming trial using its iPlayer platform during the Wimbledon tennis tournament. The broadcaster aims to evaluate performance across diverse network conditions to reduce the lag between broadcast and IP-delivered video.
AMC Global Media has renewed its distribution agreement with YouTube TV to maintain carriage of its linear and FAST channels for 10 million subscribers. The deal also expands the integration of AMC's streaming services, allowing access to ad-supported tiers via genre-based packaging common in their pay-TV distribution strategies.
Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) has announced that the 2028 Los Angeles Games will utilize a fully virtualized, cloud-based production infrastructure. The strategy includes AI-assisted workflows and advanced camera technologies to deliver 4,000 hours of content to global rights-holders.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has launched four FAST channels on LG smart TVs across North America and other international markets. This expansion reflects a growing trend of public broadcasters utilizing FAST distribution as a secondary revenue stream for their international content catalogs.
Business Insider has selected Magnite to provide the advertising infrastructure for its new standalone FAST channel. The partnership utilizes Magnite’s SpringServe platform to manage programmatic monetization and direct ad sales as the publisher diversifies its video strategy beyond YouTube.
