Lionsgate hands FreeWheel exclusive control of its FAST channel advertising

Lionsgate chosen FreeWheel as its unique ad-serving associate throughout practically 30 U.S. FAST channels on December 18, 2025, in line with the announcement. The partnership supplies media consumers with streamlined entry to Lionsgate’s premium streaming stock via the FreeWheel SSP, enabling each direct purchases and programmatic transactions through curated packages.

The studio operates over 40 channels globally, drawing from franchises together with John Wick, The Starvation Video games, Twilight, The Conners and Nash Bridges. Its U.S. portfolio consists of MovieSphere, the one Nielsen-rated FAST channel, and 50 Cent Motion, developed in collaboration with the leisure determine.

Chase Brisbin, EVP of Worldwide SVOD Gross sales and Head of World Channels at Lionsgate, described the choice as easy. “It was a straightforward resolution to decide on FreeWheel, a frontrunner within the area, as our unique know-how associate throughout our ad-supported FAST enterprise,” Brisbin acknowledged within the announcement. The mixing goals to make Lionsgate’s channels extra accessible to advertisers searching for culturally related content material to pair with manufacturers.

The unique association consolidates decision-making on promoting throughout Lionsgate’s branded U.S. FAST channels below FreeWheel’s infrastructure. Greg Bell, Vice President of Provide at FreeWheel, emphasised the operational advantages. “By unifying ad-serving and unlocking streamlined entry within the FreeWheel SSP, we’re serving to Lionsgate maximize yield whereas giving consumers a consolidated, frictionless path to premium, brand-safe streaming environments,” Bell acknowledged.

FAST viewership reaches 43 % of streaming audiences

FAST channels have captured important viewers consideration, with 43 % of viewers watching ad-supported free streaming in line with FreeWheel’s current analysis. The report signifies 87 % of FAST attain proves incremental to conventional TV campaigns, creating promoting alternatives past standard tv buys.

Advertiser response demonstrates dedication to the format. Fifty-three % of advertisers plan to allocate price range to FAST inside the subsequent six months, in line with the FreeWheel information. This planning exercise happens as Connected TV advertising spending approaches $33.35 billion in 2025, pushed by enhanced concentrating on capabilities and improved measurement throughout streaming platforms.

The partnership positions Lionsgate’s stock inside FreeWheel’s established market infrastructure. Programmatic consumers can entry Lionsgate content material, together with the 50 Cent Motion Channel, via the FreeWheel SSP with full help for viewers concentrating on, clear provide paths, and premium video codecs.

Holmes Media offered advisory providers to Lionsgate all through the negotiation course of, in line with the announcement.

FreeWheel consolidates premium streaming infrastructure

FreeWheel operates what it characterizes because the world’s largest premium Related TV market via its supply-side platform. The company unified its CTV product ecosystem with new suite names in April 2025, organizing choices into Writer Suite and Advertiser Suite configurations designed to streamline connections between consumers and sellers.

The Writer Suite consists of FreeWheel Streaming Hub and FreeWheel SSP. Streaming Hub, previously generally known as “MRM” or “TV Platform,” capabilities as a full-stack supply-side answer for video advert administration and monetization via clever advert decisioning and built-in SSP capabilities.

FreeWheel SSP, constructed upon the corporate’s acquisition of StickyAds and evolution of SFX know-how, serves because the platform’s main market for premium CTV transactions. The company expanded its premium CTV marketplace partnerships with eight streaming platforms in June 2025, together with Fubo, LG Advertisements, Philo, Plex, TCL Advertisements, Telly, and Wurl.

The Advertiser Suite gives media consumers instruments for CTV marketing campaign administration via three elements: FreeWheel Curation Hub, FreeWheel DSP, and FreeWheel Purchaser Cloud. The Curation Hub supplies businesses with instruments to handle CTV provide portfolios, curate and activate offers, and observe commitments with enhanced perception and adaptability.

FreeWheel DSP, previously the Beeswax DSP following the January 2021 acquisition, focuses on performance-driven programmatic shopping for with entry to premium TV stock. The platform incorporates built-in optimization and superior identification capabilities for exact viewers concentrating on.

Studio content material library drives channel technique

Lionsgate’s place as one of many world’s main standalone content material corporations supplies the muse for its FAST channel growth. The studio’s library exceeds 20,000 movie and tv titles, encompassing commercially profitable franchises distributed throughout numerous platforms.

The Starvation Video games franchise represents Lionsgate’s highest-grossing property domestically. The Starvation Video games: Catching Hearth generated $424.7 million on the North American field workplace in 2013, in line with the Wikipedia documentation. The unique Starvation Video games movie earned $408 million domestically in 2012.

Twilight franchise movies, distributed by Summit Leisure previous to Lionsgate’s acquisition of that studio in January 2012, contributed substantial income. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Daybreak – Half 2 generated $848.6 million globally in 2012. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Daybreak – Half 1 earned $712.2 million worldwide in 2011.

John Wick has emerged as Lionsgate’s most profitable current motion franchise. John Wick: Chapter 4 generated $187.1 million domestically and $440.2 million worldwide in 2023. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum earned $171 million on the North American field workplace and $328.3 million globally in 2019.

The studio’s movie portfolio consists of various properties past franchises. Knives Out earned $165.4 million domestically and $312.9 million worldwide in 2019. La La Land generated $151.1 million on the North American field workplace and $472 million globally in 2016. Surprise produced $132.4 million domestically and $315 million worldwide in 2017.

Lionsgate’s acquisition of Leisure One in December 2023 expanded the studio’s content material library and manufacturing capabilities. The transaction closed previous to the Spring 2024 spin-off of Lionsgate’s movie and studio companies into the newly fashioned Lionsgate Studios.

The studio maintains manufacturing relationships throughout a number of genres and price range scales. Historic releases embody American Psycho in 2000, which started Lionsgate’s pattern of manufacturing movies thought-about too controversial for main studios. The Noticed franchise, initiated in 2004, spans 10 movies. The Expendables franchise delivered three installments between 2010 and 2014.

Programmatic entry creates effectivity alternatives

The unique FreeWheel partnership establishes standardized entry to Lionsgate stock for programmatic consumers. The technical implementation spans a number of streaming supply strategies, from FAST providers to premium subscription platforms with promoting tiers.

FreeWheel’s method addresses programmatic promoting complexity via standardized information alerts and optimized bidding mechanisms. The platform structure incorporates customization options designed to simplify advertiser entry throughout fragmented streaming stock sources.

FreeWheel’s Buyer Cloud technology powers campaign execution and management, offering what Comcast Promoting describes as optimum marketing campaign execution and administration to entry audiences past conventional programmatic execution. The answer supplies entry to greater than 11 billion month-to-month impressions on premium linear stock throughout Comcast properties.

The technical infrastructure displays broader business consolidation round unified promoting platforms. Seven major video ad servers compete for dominance in the 2025 CTV marketplace, together with Google Advert Supervisor, FreeWheel’s Streaming Hub, Publica by IAS, SpringServe by Magnite, Adtelligent, Aniview, and Venture Limelight.

Premium stock definition has advanced to emphasise transparency, high quality, and model security. The FreeWheel Council for Premium Video and Video Advertising Bureau introduced standards for premium TV advertising in 2023, outlining key elements consumers and sellers ought to think about when participating in video transactions.

Streaming promoting measurement advances

The Lionsgate partnership happens amid important developments in streaming promoting measurement capabilities. Index Exchange implemented duration-based reporting for streaming TV advertisements in September 2025, addressing elementary limitations in legacy programmatic metrics that deal with all impression alternatives equally no matter time length.

Length-based calculation methodology tracks complete commercial time fairly than particular person slot counts. A 30-second impression alternative supplies considerably extra advertiser worth than a 6-second placement, but present business metrics measure each identically.

Magnite launched Live Scheduler on November 18, 2025, establishing a standardized framework for the way media homeowners and advertisers transact on dwell streaming content material. The answer addresses operational challenges which have sophisticated dwell occasion monetization throughout fragmented streaming environments.

Consideration measurement has gained prominence as a substitute for impression counting. Kargo CTV campaigns achieved 78 percent higher attention than industry standards in August 2025 evaluation by TVision. Fifteen-second commercials delivered 50 % greater eye-on-screen effectiveness than commonplace CTV benchmarks, whereas 30-second codecs achieved 74 % superior efficiency in comparison with business requirements.

Healthcare and retail sectors increase FAST funding

Particular advertiser verticals exhibit accelerated FAST channel adoption. DeepIntent launched a FAST solution for healthcare streaming ads in August 2025, designed particularly for healthcare advertisers searching for verified sufferers and healthcare suppliers throughout premium streaming platforms.

In accordance with EMARKETER information referenced within the DeepIntent announcement, FAST represents one of many fastest-growing channels in streaming tv, with time spent projected to extend twice as quickly as over-the-top viewing in 2025. This development trajectory aligns with broader shifts in healthcare advertising, the place Related TV promoting media price range allocation is projected to double from 14 % in 2023 to twenty-eight % in 2025.

Retail media and CTV are converging rapidly, in line with IAB Europe evaluation revealed in November 2025. Retail media promoting spend on related tv is projected to develop thrice sooner than retail media search, signaling a considerable shift towards video-based commerce promoting.

Commerce sign concentrating on allows manufacturers to leverage first-party information together with buy historical past and shopping habits for personalised commercials in CTV environments. This concentrating on method connects retail transaction insights with streaming stock at scale.

Platform competitors intensifies for promoting income

Main know-how platforms proceed increasing streaming promoting capabilities. Amazon Creative Agent added TV capabilities at unBoxed 2025 on November 11, increasing the agentic AI software to help Streaming TV and Sponsored TV promoting codecs.

Amazon reported $15.7 billion in promoting providers income for Q2 2025, a 22 % year-over-year improve considerably outpacing total income development of 13 %. CEO Andy Jassy emphasised in the course of the July 31 earnings name that the platform helps advertisers attain a median ad-supported viewers exceeding 300 million throughout owned properties in the USA.

Microsoft launched Premium Streaming campaigns in August 2025, enabling advertisers to put broadcast-quality video commercials throughout premium streaming providers together with Netflix, Roku, Paramount, LG, Samsung, and Rakuten. The marketing campaign kind makes use of CPCV bidding, optimizing for accomplished video views fairly than impressions or clicks.

{Hardware} producers have entered the promoting competitors. HP launched an advertising business targeting laptop users with on-device campaigns and a streaming service in July 2025, claiming entry to 160 million month-to-month U.S. customers throughout 19 million gadgets.

Different distribution fashions emerge

Streaming platforms proceed experimenting with aggregation and distribution approaches. Fubo Channel Store launched with direct-to-consumer streaming plans in November 2025, providing subscribers standalone plans with automated entry to Fubo Free, a group of practically 200 FAST channels.

The mixing of FAST channels alongside premium subscriptions establishes a twin monetization mannequin. Premium subscribers pay direct charges for content material entry, whereas bundled FAST channels generate promoting income streams.

UK broadcasters Sky, Channel 4 and ITV announced plans in June 2025 to launch a unified self-service tv promoting market in 2026, powered by Comcast Promoting’s Common Advertisements platform and FreeWheel’s know-how. The collaboration goals to handle the longstanding barrier stopping smaller advertisers from accessing tv promoting because of complexity and minimal spending necessities.

Revolutionary advert codecs increase engagement alternatives

Magnite rolled out pause ads for streaming TV with DIRECTV and Fubo in August 2025. The commercial format seems when viewers pause content material, creating engagement alternatives throughout pure viewing interruptions.

Mike Laband, Group SVP, US Income at Magnite, emphasised the non-disruptive nature of pause promoting. “Pause Advertisements create a brand new class of high-value advert stock with out disrupting the viewer expertise,” Laband acknowledged. The format builds on momentum from Magnite’s current House Display screen and Tiles advert options to fulfill rising demand for performance-driven promoting experiences.

Rose McGovern, Head of Programmatic at DIRECTV Promoting, highlighted the distinctive engagement potential. “When somebody hits the pause button, they’re straight participating with what they’re watching, making pause advertisements a singular, non-disruptive alternative for manufacturers to achieve individuals at a second of peak curiosity,” McGovern defined.

Market implications for advertisers

The Lionsgate-FreeWheel partnership demonstrates the continuing consolidation of streaming promoting infrastructure round specialised know-how platforms. Studios with substantial content material libraries more and more choose unique partnerships to simplify advertiser entry whereas maximizing monetization effectivity.

For advertising professionals managing Related TV budgets, the partnership creates a single entry level to Lionsgate’s various content material portfolio. Programmatic consumers achieve standardized entry to stock spanning motion franchises, younger grownup properties, household content material, and demographic-specific channels.

The unique association displays broader business recognition that fragmented promoting know-how creates operational inefficiencies for each consumers and sellers. By consolidating advert serving below FreeWheel’s infrastructure, Lionsgate reduces the complexity advertisers face when trying to construct complete streaming campaigns throughout a number of platforms.

The 53 % of advertisers planning FAST price range allocation inside six months face simplified decision-making when accessing Lionsgate stock. Relatively than negotiating separate agreements throughout particular person channels or distribution platforms, programmatic consumers can activate campaigns via established FreeWheel relationships.

Model security issues issue prominently in premium stock choice. Lionsgate’s content material portfolio spans established franchises with recognized viewers demographics, offering advertisers with predictable contexts for model messaging. The FreeWheel SSP incorporates verification and measurement capabilities designed to make sure clear provide paths and brand-safe placements.

Technical implementation particulars

The partnership makes use of FreeWheel’s server-side advert insertion know-how to ship commercials inside streaming content material. This method differs from client-side insertion strategies by processing advert selections on server infrastructure earlier than content material supply to end-user gadgets.

Server-side implementation supplies benefits together with lowered buffering, improved consumer expertise, and enhanced advert blocker resistance. The know-how allows dynamic advert pod development primarily based on real-time bidding outcomes and viewers concentrating on parameters.

FreeWheel’s infrastructure helps a number of commercial durations and codecs inside particular person advert breaks. A 90-second advert pod can accommodate numerous mixtures: two 15-second slots plus one 60-second placement, three 30-second commercials, or one 90-second inventive unit.

The platform’s decisioning engine evaluates competing bid requests in opposition to publisher-defined flooring costs and yield optimization algorithms. This automated choice course of determines which commercials fill obtainable stock primarily based on income potential and concentrating on alignment.

Viewers concentrating on capabilities lengthen past primary demographic parameters. The FreeWheel SSP helps behavioral concentrating on primarily based on viewing historical past, contextual concentrating on aligned with content material genres, and geographic concentrating on for localized campaigns.

Frequency administration instruments allow advertisers to restrict advert publicity per consumer throughout hourly, day by day, and weekly intervals. These controls forestall overexposure whereas optimizing marketing campaign efficiency throughout prolonged time intervals.

Future developments

The unique partnership establishes FreeWheel as Lionsgate’s main promoting know-how supplier for U.S. FAST operations. This association positions each corporations to develop built-in product enhancements particularly optimized for Lionsgate’s content material and viewers traits.

Potential developments may embody customized viewers packages aligned with Lionsgate franchise affinities, specialised measurement capabilities for serialized content material efficiency, and enhanced inventive optimization primarily based on content-specific engagement patterns.

The partnership’s success could affect different content material corporations’ know-how partnership methods. Studios observing improved monetization and simplified operations via unique preparations may pursue comparable consolidation approaches with most well-liked promoting platforms.

FreeWheel’s continued growth of writer partnerships strengthens its place as a central market for premium streaming stock. The platform’s potential to combination various content material sources below unified shopping for interfaces creates community results that profit each consumers searching for complete attain and sellers searching for concentrated demand.

Timeline

Abstract

Who: Lionsgate Studios, one of many world’s main standalone content material corporations working over 40 FAST channels globally, chosen FreeWheel, a Comcast-owned world tv promoting know-how platform, as its unique ad-serving associate. Chase Brisbin serves as EVP of Worldwide SVOD Gross sales and Head of World Channels at Lionsgate. Greg Bell capabilities as Vice President of Provide at FreeWheel. Holmes Media offered advisory providers throughout negotiations.

What: An unique partnership granting FreeWheel sole ad-serving rights throughout Lionsgate’s practically 30 U.S. FAST channels, together with MovieSphere (the one Nielsen-rated FAST channel) and 50 Cent Motion. The association allows media consumers to entry Lionsgate’s premium streaming stock via the FreeWheel SSP for each direct purchases and programmatic transactions through curated packages. The partnership consolidates promoting decision-making below FreeWheel’s infrastructure, changing what was presumably a multi-platform or fragmented method.

When: The announcement occurred on December 18, 2025, at 9:04 AM Jap Customary Time. Implementation supplies fast entry to Lionsgate stock via FreeWheel’s current market infrastructure. The partnership builds on FreeWheel’s April 2025 product suite reorganization and June 2025 growth of premium CTV market partnerships with eight streaming platforms.

The place: The partnership covers Lionsgate’s U.S. FAST channel portfolio particularly, whereas the corporate operates greater than 40 channels globally. FreeWheel maintains places of work in New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Beijing, and different world places. Lionsgate Studios is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Distribution happens throughout a number of streaming platforms the place Lionsgate channels can be found to viewers.

Why: The partnership addresses market fragmentation in FAST promoting by offering unified entry to Lionsgate content material via a single know-how platform. With 43 % of viewers watching FAST and 87 % of FAST attain proving incremental to conventional TV campaigns, in line with FreeWheel analysis, the format represents important development alternative. Fifty-three % of advertisers plan FAST price range allocation inside six months. The unique association simplifies operations for Lionsgate whereas maximizing yield, and supplies consumers with consolidated entry to premium, brand-safe streaming environments as Related TV promoting spending approaches $33.35 billion in 2025.