New York Post enters FAST market with VideoElephant managed service partnership
New York Post Media Group is launching its first FAST channel in collaboration with VideoElephant Fast Managed Services. VideoElephant will manage the channel's operations, including scheduling, distribution, and monetization, leveraging the New York Post's substantial online audience. The move taps into the growing FAST market, projected to reach significant CTV ad spending by 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Channel features 150 hours of TV-ready content with a 20% monthly refresh rate across brands like Page Six and Decider.
- VideoElephant will handle all technical and commercial operations, including distribution to smart TVs and monetization.
- The New York Post's digital reach includes 62 million unique monthly visitors, with 92% of that audience located outside New York.
- Daily programming will include dedicated shows such as Post Presents, Page Six Radio, and Schein Time.
Why It Matters
The move signifies legacy digital-first publishers transitioning into linear streaming to capture shifting TV budgets. By outsourcing technical operations to VideoElephant, the New York Post can monetize its high-volume video library without building a bespoke streaming infrastructure. This approach aligns with a broader industry pivot where U.S. CTV ad spending is projected to reach $38 billion by 2026, driven by a 64% household penetration for free, ad-supported services. For competitors, it signals a new phase of national audience competition from established digital news brands on the living room screen. Watch for the channel's initial carriage deals on major platforms like Roku or Vizio following the 'available soon' announcement.
Additional Context
The partnership with New York Post Media Group follows a similar operational shift by personal finance channel ROI TV, which moved its management to VideoElephant's FAST Managed Services in May 2026. According to Media Play News, VideoElephant now oversees content planning and monetization for a growing roster of publishers including USA Today and Entrepreneur. This trend reflects a broader maturing of the FAST ecosystem where specialized service providers enable text-heavy media brands to extract value from existing video assets as linear-style programming. The broader market backdrop supports this shift: per eMarketer and IAB reporting from mid-2026, U.S. connected TV ad spending is expected to hit $37.95 billion this year, a 14.5% year-over-year increase. For the first time, CTV upfront commitments of $17.73 billion are projected to exceed primetime linear TV upfronts, which sit at $16.98 billion. This structural shift in the advertising market is forcing traditional publishers to move beyond digital video players into established linear streaming environments. Furthermore, recent IAB data from May 2026 indicates that digital video spending is growing 20% faster than the total advertising market. While social video is currently outpacing CTV in growth, FAST platforms have moved into the mainstream, now reaching approximately 60% of U.S. households per Adwave projections. This mainstream adoption provides New York Post with a large, addressable surface to target its 62 million unique visitors, particularly the 92% residing outside the New York metropolitan area who represent a scalable national advertiser base.
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