When we launched wedotv in 2018 (then called Watch4), the prevailing wisdom in the entertainment industry was clear: subscription video-on-demand was the future.
SVOD platforms were dominating headlines, raising billions in capital, and redefining how audiences consumed content. Netflix had already reshaped viewing habits, and every major media company seemed determined to build its own subscription platform.
Ad-supported streaming, by contrast, was widely seen as a secondary model – useful for catch-up television or older library content, but not a serious contender in the global streaming race.
We saw things differently.
Throughout television’s history, advertising has funded the growth of commercial broadcasting. Viewers understood the trade-off: compelling programming in exchange for a limited number of ads. We believed that principle would eventually translate to streaming, especially as consumers began to feel the cumulative expense of multiple subscription services.
But believing in ad-supported streaming in 2018 required patience. Distribution platforms were still defining their strategies, advertisers were cautious, FAST channels were barely part of the conversation, and audiences were only beginning to explore free streaming options.
Rather than trying to scale overnight, we focused on building a foundation.
Starting Close to Home
Our first markets were Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 2018. The DACH region gave us the opportunity to launch in a familiar media environment while developing the operational capabilities required for ad-supported OTT.
These early years were invaluable. We learned how to balance content acquisition, programming strategy, advertising sales, and platform distribution.
While we were finding success in the region, we deliberately avoided rapid expansion. Unlike the large studio-backed platforms, we did not have the luxury of operating at a loss while chasing scale. We also recognized early that consumer expectations, advertising ecosystems, regulatory environments, and platform partnerships vary widely – even within Europe. What works in one country cannot simply be copied into another.
Expanding with Intention
About one year after launch, Watch4 expanded into the United Kingdom, where the service was branded W4Free.
Entering the UK tested our model outside the DACH region. It required new distribution partnerships, a refined content mix, and a deeper understanding of how AVOD fits within an already mature television market.
Our timing was fortunate. The pandemic kept audiences at home searching for new entertainment options, and a free streaming service with a broad programming mix resonated strongly.
This period also coincided with the early momentum of FAST channels. While FAST had existed for several years, it began gaining real traction around 2020, particularly in the United States.
We gained our first exposure to smart-TV ecosystems through launches of Watch4 and W4Free on platforms such as Huawei and Xumo. In 2021, we launched our first standalone FAST channel – Watch4 Movies – across multiple smart-TV platforms in DACH, followed by additional news and sports channels.
These launches taught us how audiences interact with FAST channels: the appeal of lean-back viewing, the importance of strong channel branding, and the need for reliable programming schedules that feel closer to traditional television than to on-demand libraries.
Localization Is Not Optional
In 2022, we consolidated Watch4 and W4Free under a single global brand: wedotv. With that change, we began expanding more deliberately beyond our initial markets.
From the beginning, we understood that localization would be critical to success.
We again focused on a single new market to test our assumptions. In early 2023, wedotv launched in Italy with localized versions of wedotv.com, dedicated apps, and tailored FAST channels.
The process was both challenging and rewarding. It required adapting programming strategies, marketing approaches, and distribution partnerships. But it also reinforced the value of deeply understanding a market before expanding further.
The lessons we learned in Italy helped shape our subsequent launches in the Nordics, the Benelux region, and other territories. Each market demanded its own strategy, but the principle remained constant: successful FAST channels must feel native to the regions where they operate.
Localization goes far beyond subtitles or dubbing. It involves programming choices, scheduling patterns, cultural relevance, and advertising relationships.
The Importance of Local Partners
Streaming is often portrayed as borderless. In reality, media ecosystems remain highly local. Broadcasters, telecom operators, smart-TV platforms, and advertising networks operate within regional frameworks that shape how FAST channels succeed.
Local partners provide essential expertise: relationships with advertisers, insights into viewer behavior, and an understanding of regulatory environments. They help ensure that a channel does not simply enter a market but becomes integrated into the local media landscape.
This is particularly true in Europe, where media markets are both interconnected and highly diverse. A pan-European strategy may sound efficient, but each country ultimately operates with its own television culture and commercial dynamics.
Europe Is Not the United States
Another lesson we learned early is that strategies designed for the U.S. market cannot always be replicated internationally.
The United States functions largely as a single media market with a shared language and unified advertising infrastructure. Europe, by contrast, consists of multiple distinct markets separated by language, culture, and regulation.
Working with European broadcasters and platform operators often requires a different approach. Relationships tend to develop over longer periods, negotiations are more collaborative, and local expertise carries significant weight.
As wedotv has expanded beyond Europe into regions such as the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia, we have seen even greater diversity in how FAST channels operate.
Advertising markets mature at different speeds. Platform ecosystems vary widely. Viewer expectations around programming and advertising differ significantly across regions.
For FAST channels, success depends on recognizing these differences rather than imposing a single global template.
The Return of Free Television
Today, the conversation around streaming looks very different than it did in 2018.
Nearly every major streaming company now offers an ad-supported tier. FAST channels have become a core component of the connected-TV ecosystem. And audiences increasingly value free streaming services as a complement to their subscription platforms.
In many ways, the industry has rediscovered something television understood decades ago: high-quality programming supported by advertising remains one of the most sustainable ways to reach large audiences.
The FAST sector continues to evolve. New platforms are emerging, advertising technology is advancing rapidly, and content owners are increasingly embracing free streaming as a key distribution channel.
In a global industry driven by technology, success still depends on understanding the local viewer.
Philipp Rotermund has over 20 years of experience driving strategic business development, marketing and sales within the media, film, IPTV, broadcast, sport and online video industry. Currently he is co-founder and CEO of Video Solutions AG, parent company of wedotv, the advertising-supported TV and streaming platform. wedotv operates multiple thematic channels and on-demand offerings across the globe. wedotv channels can be watched for free via the wedotv website, its mobile and smart‑TV apps, and as free-to-air channels integrated on partner platforms like Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, VIDAA/Hisense, Zattoo, Hotbird, Astra 19.2, MagentaTV, Vodafone, Freeview, Virgin, Etisalat and among many other IPTV/cable operators.