What is Linear Streaming and How to Create a Linear Channel?

Linear streaming brings the familiar experience of a television channel to the internet. Instead of choosing a title from a library, the viewer tunes into a continuous, scheduled stream where programming plays one item after another according to a fixed timetable. It is the streaming counterpart of traditional broadcast TV, and it has surged in popularity through the rise of free ad-supported streaming television, known as FAST.

Why lean-back viewing is back

On-demand catalogs put endless choice at the viewer's fingertips, but that choice can become tiring. Sometimes people simply want something good already playing that they can settle into without deciding. Linear channels answer that desire. They recreate the comfort of channel-surfing, and for operators they offer a powerful way to put a back catalog to continuous use rather than letting it sit idle in a library.

How a linear channel is built

A schedule sequences on-demand assets, live feeds, fillers, and advertising breaks into a single continuous stream, accompanied by an electronic programme guide so viewers can see what is on now and next. Cloud playout assembles this channel entirely in software, inserting ads dynamically so the same channel can be monetized differently across regions and audiences. There is no need for the broadcast hardware or staffed facility that traditional linear television once required.

What linear and FAST channels enable

• Around-the-clock programming assembled from an existing content library
• Free, ad-supported monetization through dynamic ad insertion
• Distribution to your own apps, smart TVs, and FAST aggregators
• A lean-back experience that complements an on-demand catalog

Common questions about linear streaming

What is the difference between linear streaming and FAST?

Linear streaming is the format: a scheduled, always-on channel. FAST is a business model built on that format, namely free channels monetized with advertising. A FAST channel is a linear channel that viewers watch for free.

Can I create channels from content I already own?

Yes, and that is much of the appeal. Your existing on-demand library becomes the raw material for themed channels, so content you have already paid to produce keeps working around the clock.