In this episode of Inside Content, I sat down with Patrick Courtney, Chief Business Officer at Fuse Media, to explore the complexities and opportunities within the ever-evolving world of FAST, SVOD, and AVOD. Fuse Media, a diverse-owned global entertainment company, operates seven FAST channels and one SVOD service, Fuse+—each carefully tailored to multicultural audiences. Patrick offered a deep dive into how Fuse is approaching growth, monetisation, and partnerships within an increasingly crowded digital content landscape.
One of the most insightful moments from our conversation was about Fuse’s strategic approach to FAST. Patrick explained how their early move into the space back in 2018 has proven highly beneficial. “We applied our pay TV competencies—programming, scheduling, marketing—to FAST, and it's been very successful,” he shared. However, the single-revenue nature ofFAST—reliant solely on advertising—carries risks during advertising market downturns, particularly when audience growth outpaces demand. To mitigate this, Fuse has been intentional in curating a portfolio where every channel reflects its multicultural ethos.
We also explored Culture Collective, Fuse’s partnership network designed to expand reach and enhance programmatic advertising capabilities. With over 50 million monthly unique viewers across more than 30 partner channels, the initiative now has its sights set on 100 million to satisfy growing demand from major advertisers. “Scale is critical in programmatic,” Patrick emphasised. “Agencies want big buys, and we’re positioning ourselves to deliver that while staying true to our core audience.”
Another compelling thread was Fuse’s perspective oncreators and original content. Patrick highlighted that creators with meaningful IP and efficient production models could bring economically viable original programming into the FAST space—a realm typically driven by library content. Fuse is actively pursuing partnerships with creators who offer both existing libraries and ambitions for new content development.
We also delved into Fuse’s marketing strategy in the FAST landscape, where traditional pay TV tactics now intersect with AI-driven recommendation engines. With limited and often inconsistent platform data, Fuse is investing significantly in audience analysis, scheduling optimisation, and content visibility across EPGs.
Finally, we touched on the future of SVOD and the return of bundling. Fuse is exploring next-generation streaming bundles that reimagine the value of traditional cable packages, while aligning with current viewing habits. “We understand bundling,” Patrick noted. “We’re trying to figure out how to do it in a streaming-first world in a way that benefits both programmers and consumers.”
This episode is filled with strategic insights on how a heritage media brand is reshaping itself for the digital-first future of television.
Key Topics:
● Fuse Media’s FAST and SVOD strategy
● Monetisation risks and diversification in FAST
● Culture Collective and the programmatic ad landscape
● Partnering with multicultural and creator-led brands
● Platform-driven content discovery and audience engagement
● Future of SVOD and the rebundling of streaming services
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