Pablo Mancuso from Condista: “FAST Gives Us The Flexibility To Test New Formats”

For Condista, FAST channels represent an additional monetization window, complementing its distribution strategy across other platforms such as pay TV. “They allow us to expand content distribution to audiences increasingly consuming through connected TV, without affecting the traditional business structure,” explained Pablo Mancuso, Managing Director of Condista Internacional.

“FAST gives us the flexibility to test new formats, extend the lifespan of established content, and generate advertising revenue in markets where traditional linear TV may be evolving,” he added.

THE CHALLENGE IS FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE

Mancuso noted that one of the challenges of succeeding in the FAST landscape is finding the right balance between FAST and pay TV. “Our priority remains strengthening the subscription model, and FAST allows us to reach complementary audiences without cannibalizing the business. We also face challenges in distribution fragmentation and monetization, as not all platforms offer the same revenue potential. Additionally, the lack of standardized metrics makes it more complex to assess channel success compared to traditional models,” he pointed out.

He stated that connected TV is growing rapidly in Latin America, but pay TV remains the foundation of the premium content distribution ecosystem. “FAST and CTV have found an important place, especially among younger audiences and in markets with high penetration of smart TVs and devices like Roku, Fire TV, or Apple TV. However, in terms of engagement and monetization, pay TV remains the region’s most stable model for content distribution,” Mancuso emphasized.

FAST AND CTV WILL EVOLVE BUT ALWAYS AS A COMPLEMENT TO PAY TV

For Condista, FAST and connected TV will continue to evolve in Latin America, always complementing pay TV rather than replacing it.

“As digital advertising grows and programmatic platforms mature, FAST will become more relevant, but pay TV still offers a unique value proposition in terms of stability, premium content, and long-term monetization. In this context, our strategy remains to integrate all distribution windows efficiently, maximizing revenue without compromising the subscription model,” he stated.

PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISING: THE DRIVING FORCE OF FAST MONETIZATION

Mancuso highlighted that programmatic advertising is the driving force behind FAST monetization. *”However, success doesn’t just depend on ad volume but on audience quality and segmentation. As the CTV and FAST ecosystem matures in Latin America, advertisers are allocating more budget to these environments, improving CPMs and the stability of the model. However, it requires an industry-wide effort to assign real value to the audience generated by the CTV ecosystem. I believe advertisers are still somewhat confused, and it will be crucial for platforms, content owners, and agencies to establish some common ground rules to help the entire market grow,”* he explained.

NEWS AND FICTION ARE THE MOST WELL-RECEIVED

According to Condista’s experience, the most well-received FAST content has been news—especially with a local touch or representing a specific region—followed by fiction, including telenovelas and series. *”However, each channel and platform operates differently, so understanding what works best in each case is key. We need platforms to be open to collaborating on content strategies based on the privileged data they have,”* Mancuso noted.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

When asked about how they evaluate FAST performance, Mancuso mentioned that they primarily assess audience engagement. “We analyze viewing time and how specific content performs. The profitability of any FAST project depends on the revenue it generates, which relies not only on consumption but also on CPMs and the fill rate of each platform. There are very different scenarios between the U.S. market, with high CPMs, and Latin America, which has yet to consolidate, as technical costs require a minimum revenue level to make a project viable,” he explained.