CTV 101 — Content Creator
You make content for the TV screen. Start here.
If you produce video for FAST channels, branded content for OTT platforms, or studio content licensed to streamers — you're in CTV's content economy. The mechanics differ from YouTube creator economics: ad slots are structured, formats have hard specs, distribution depends on aggregator deals, and revenue share is the model that pays you. These six concepts get you oriented.
A FAST channel is a free, ad-supported, linear streaming channel — think Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, Plex Live. India has Jio's FAST tier, Samsung TV Plus, and Amazon Freevee growing fast. Launching a channel is a content-licensing + distribution-deal play, not just an upload.
Regional language, sports nostalgia, vintage films, religious content, and kids programming dominate India FAST channel viewership. New original content rarely works on FAST — the model rewards a deep library that fills 24/7 programming with minimal acquisition cost. Get the strategy right before commissioning anything.
Indian FAST CPMs run Rs 80–Rs 200 — lower than premium OTT (Rs 250–Rs 500) because audience is smaller and inventory is more abundant. Revenue per channel ranges from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 50 lakh per month depending on programming, distribution deals, and ad load. Know the unit economics.
Sponsorships, brand integrations, and co-produced content fund a meaningful chunk of CTV original programming in India. The deals are bespoke, the rate cards are negotiated, and the measurement is part-quantitative, part-narrative. This is how studio content gets made when ad revenue alone won't cover it.
When your content runs on a CTV platform you don't own, you get a share of the ad revenue. The split varies wildly — 30/70 in your favour on premium aggregator deals, 50/50 on standard FAST deals, 70/30 against you on YouTube-style platforms. Negotiate this before content goes live.
CTV ads have rigid specs — 1080p, specific bitrates, 15s/30s standard lengths, no clickable elements, audio-loudness rules. If you produce branded content or run ads on your own channels, the creative pipeline has to match these specs from shoot to delivery. Know the rules before the edit.
Next step
FAST Monetization Model
Model your channel economics — ad load, fill rate, CPM mix, and revenue projection — against India-specific FAST assumptions.
Open the model →