New SAS service overcomes subscription fatigue for media companies

SAS says consumer cancellations of subscription video services mean media companies need a new model to generate revenue, creating a space for its new product, SAS 360 Match.

The new service helps media companies use an advertising video on demand (AVOD) model and move away from a subscription video on demand (SVOD) model.

SAS says that households have embraced streaming media over the past few years, with many having multiple subscriptions. Now, as inflation rises and household budgets tighten, the signs of a slowdown in SVOD services have begun.

The company says savvy organisations are using advertising video on demand (AVOD) models instead, to drive subscriber growth or help maintain lower price point offerings.

SAS head of advertising technology Steve Perks says the company is seeing a move towards more advertising-funded or hybrid ad-supported propositions.

"SAS is the only global vendor to provide a full AVOD ad management platform, SAS 360 Match, and an enterprise grade customer data platform to support advanced first party audience segmentation management for both ad targeting and subscription marketing capabilities," he says.

The company says SAS 360 Match delivers a first-party ad serving platform for AVOD fully integrated with SAS's customer data platform (CDP), marketing planning and strategy, and customer journey optimisation technologies. It says this streamlines the entire customer engagement process from advertising through marketing engagement and, ultimately, conversion.

SAS says it's increasingly important for companies to take ownership of their technology, particularly in high growth areas where vendors are both suppliers and competitors to the traditional industry.

"There's considerable increase in market capitalisations for media companies that have made technology investments and developed their own IP in this area, becoming less dependent on the product strategies of their tech competitors and potential government competition and regulatory impact," says Perks.

To meet the needs of the world's largest broadcasters and the future of addressable TV, SAS says 360 Match is a fully auto-scaling, cloud-based solution that adjusts in real-time to audience fluctuations.

This provides a cost-competitive solution for linear, addressable TV and live simulcast events while meeting the challenge that mass viewing events offer.

SAS says, as an independent technology vendor, it also does not have any advertising-dependent business models, such as SSPs, DSPs, ad networks or TV propositions that compete with clients for advertising revenue.

SAS says 360 Match also provides a neutral position in the market and can help generate maximum revenue potential for broadcasters through proprietary solutions and digital ecosystem partner relationships.

Cruxo CTO and former Czech Publisher Exchange managing director Matej Novak says he's had huge success with the SAS 360 Match ad server in the Czech Republic market.

"Its true independence is highly appreciated by the publishers who want to be truly in control of their own inventory, unrestricted with vendor policies," he says.

"360 Match is also very versatile which means publishers can offer a wide variety of ad products and business models."