Executive Summary
This recommended practice defines a scalable framework for assembling and distributing linear channels, including free advertising supported/streaming television (FAST) channels, by incorporating SCTE standards to improve distribution scalability. It outlines how to construct linear channels from VoD assets, integrate dynamic advertising (ad) insertion, and support multi-platform delivery (including QAM and IPTV) through standardized signaling and manifest manipulation. This enables content providers and distributors to streamline operations, enhance monetization, and deliver consistent viewer experiences across diverse devices and networks.
Additionally, this framework can lead to new use models enabling efficient next generation linear channel construction, distribution, and aggregation across multiple parties with dynamic configurations and variable durations on content and advertising selections, enabling streaming of personalized experiences within an integrated ecosystem.
Scope
Existing SCTE standards provide the foundation for advertising replacement and digital program insertion (DPI) and are implemented in backend infrastructures for the linear channel and VoD ecosystems. Current streaming technologies have been focused on an end delivery channel to the consumer, but now content creators are demanding more integrated and scaled mechanisms to those existing backend infrastructures. This document defines a recommended practice for the assembly, signaling, and distribution of linear assembled channels (including FAST channels) where distribution scalability is enhanced using SCTE standards, including [SCTE 35], [SCTE 224], and [SCTE 250]. It applies to the construction of linear channels from video-on-demand (VoD) assets, the integration of dynamic ad insertion and replacement, and the delivery of these channels across multiple distribution platforms such as IPTV, connected TV (CTV), multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), and QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation)-based systems.
This recommended practice covers conceptual architectures and workflows for both channel/content owners and distributors, including content preparation, manifest generation, ad signaling, and playback customization. It supports both centralized and distributed models of channel assembly and includes provisions for adaptive streaming formats like DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) and HLS (HTTP Live Streaming). The document also outlines how to maintain synchronization, branding, and guide metadata across diverse playback environments.
This recommended practice does not prescribe proprietary ad decision systems, client-side playback implementations, or specific encoding/transcoding technologies. Instead, it focuses on interoperable signaling and metadata practices that enable scalable, flexible, and monetizable evolved FAST channel deployments across heterogeneous ecosystems.
The constructs developed within this document can be used for future purposes to enable other use cases that are more efficient, scalable, and dynamic within an integrated ecosystem.
Benefits
This recommended practice provides a critical framework for standardizing the assembly and distribution of FAST channels, addressing the growing need for scalable, interoperable, and monetizable streaming solutions. By defining consistent signaling and metadata practices using SCTE standards, it enables seamless integration across diverse platforms and devices, reducing complexity and optimizing operational costs. When implemented, it allows content providers and distributors to efficiently manage ad insertion, channel branding, and playback synchronization, enhancing viewer experience and maximizing ad revenue. It provides a pathway to transition from individually addressing clients to handle client limitations towards a more streamlined addressing of multiple clients. Without following these recommendations, the industry risks fragmentation, increased integration costs, and inconsistent user experiences. The benefits are both immediate—through streamlined workflows and reduced technical barriers—and long-term, by fostering a more unified and competitive broadband ecosystem that supports innovation and cross-platform scalability. Examples of future innovative tracks are: reduced operational complexity, dynamic selection on content based on trending, inclusion of UGC content, and alternative channel experiences.
Intended Audience
This document is intended for a broad range of professionals involved in the development, deployment, and operation of linear assembled channels, including FAST channels. This includes software engineers and system architects responsible for implementing SCTE-based signaling and manifest workflows; corporate engineers and technical leads at content providers, broadcasters, and distributors; operations teams managing content ingestion, playout, and ad insertion; and technical staff at MVPDs, vMVPDs, and CTV platforms. Additionally, it is relevant to professionals working on content management systems (CMS), ad decision systems (ADS), and streaming infrastructure who require a standardized framework to ensure interoperability, scalability, and monetization across diverse distribution environments.