OKAST’s Cédric Monnier On The Challenges Of Creating A “Monetization-First” Streaming Solution
“Before launching OKAST, I spent 25 years in the TV business, working for technology companies like Canal+, Irdeto, Newcorp, and NDS,” notes OKAST CEO, Cédric Monnier. “My role was at the intersection of media, technology, and digital content distribution, helping media and content companies navigate the shift to streaming.”
ALAN WOLK (AW): How did your prior experiences in the business help shape your vision for OKAST.
CÉDRIC MONNIER (CM): It gave me a deep understanding of the challenges media owners face—not just in launching platforms but in actually monetizing content effectively. That’s what shaped OKAST: we don’t see ourselves as just a technology provider. We are a monetization partner, helping content owners maximize revenue across all distribution models, whether it’s live streaming, FAST, AVOD, SVOD, or TVOD.
AW: What was the original inspiration behind OKAST? Was there a specific problem you were trying to solve?
CM: The inspiration came from a fundamental gap in the market. Many media companies and content owners struggled to launch streaming services because they lacked the right tools—but more importantly, they didn’t have a clear path to profitability. Traditional streaming solutions focused purely on the technical side, leaving content owners to figure out monetization on their own. We built OKAST as a business-first streaming solution that seamlessly integrates distribution, audience engagement, and revenue generation into one platform.
AW: What is your “elevator pitch”- what exactly does OKAST do, and who is it built for?
CM: OKAST is a monetization-first streaming solution designed to help content owners, media companies, and brands distribute and profit from their video content. Whether it’s FAST channels, live streaming, AVOD, SVOD, or TVOD, we provide an end-to-end solution that goes beyond technology—we help our partners strategically maximize their revenue. We work with broadcasters, studios, rights holders, and digital publishers who want to grow their audience and turn content into a scalable business.
AW: OKAST operates across both platform technology and content/data strategy. What do you see as your biggest differentiator in a crowded market?
CM: Our biggest differentiator is that we are not just a technical provider—we are a true monetization partner. While others focus on infrastructure, we focus on profitability. We provide our partners with a business model-driven approach that includes advertising optimization (for FAST and AVOD), subscription and transaction models (SVOD & TVOD), and hybrid monetization strategies. Combined with our deep data analytics and AI-driven content insights, we help clients optimize not just how they distribute content but how they make money from it.
AW: OKAST has created and leads FAST4EU, an EU-backed initiative to help grow the FAST ecosystem in Europe. What’s the goal of that project, and why is it important for the European market?
CM: FAST4EU is a strategic initiative to accelerate the adoption of Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) in Europe while ensuring that local content and cultural diversity remain central. The European streaming landscape differs greatly from the U.S.—it requires a localized, multilingual approach with tailored monetization models.
Through FAST4EU, OKAST helps media companies navigate this complexity, launch FAST channels efficiently, and maximize ad revenue across different regions. In 3 years, with funding from the EU, we’ve built up a complete solution for advanced FAST channel building, an extensive distribution network that can place a channel on more than 70 key FAST platforms and applications and provide monetization. Everything is in full compliance with EU regulations. We also provide help for advertising strategies, channel planning, AVOD deliveries, localization, tax rebates, and more.
AW: A big focus of FAST4EU is on cultural diversity and local content. How are you addressing that challenge—both technologically and editorially?
CM: At OKAST, we believe local content is key to long-term success in streaming. We address this challenge in two ways:
Editorially – We work closely with content creators, rights holders, and media companies to ensure their local content reaches the right audiences. Our platform allows for hyper-localized programming, regional curation, and AI-driven content recommendations to improve engagement.
Monetization-driven technology – We provide advanced tools to help local content owners maximize ad revenue and audience reach. This includes programmatic ad integration, AI-based ad insertion, and hybrid monetization models that adapt to different markets.
AW: How do you help clients bridge the gap between running streaming/FAST services and making sense of all the data they're getting?
CM: Monetization in streaming is all about understanding audience behavior and optimizing revenue streams. Many platforms provide data, but not actionable insights. OKAST simplifies this with AI-driven analytics and monetization insights that help clients:
Understand audience engagement and content performance
Optimize ad revenue in FAST and AVOD models
Improve retention and conversion in SVOD and TVOD services
Adjust distribution strategies for maximum reach and profitability
In other words, we don’t just give our partners data—we help them turn that data into revenue.
AW: What’s one thing you think companies often underestimate when launching a video platform or FAST service?
CM: Many companies underestimate the complexity of monetization. They focus on launching a platform but don’t always have a clear strategy to make it profitable. Whether it’s FAST, AVOD, SVOD, or TVOD, the key to success is having the right business model, audience insights, and content strategy in place.
At OKAST, we work closely with our partners to ensure they don’t just launch a service—they build a sustainable, revenue-generating business.
This strongly reinforces the fact that OKAST is a monetization-first streaming partner and not just a technical provider. It emphasizes business strategy, revenue optimization, and multi-format distribution (FAST, live, xVOD) in every response.
AW: What’s coming next for OKAST—any new features, partnerships, or expansion plans you can share?
CM: Right now, we are redefining the streaming and advertising landscape, and ASAP4EU is a game-changer in this journey. This new EU-backed initiative, following the success of FAST4EU, is empowering us to deliver cutting-edge solutions that make ad-supported streaming smarter, more profitable, and more engaging than ever.
We've turned our focus on three key areas:
AI-Powered Ad Targeting – Leveraging ASAP4EU’s advanced AI models, we enable hyper-personalized, non-intrusive ad placements (L-shapes), maximizing audience engagement and advertiser ROI.
Seamless Programmatic Monetization – Our platform now integrates enhanced automated ad bidding and real-time contextual ad insertion, ensuring publishers and brands get the most value from every impression.
Interactivity - The second screen offers a major opportunity to capture end-user attention on the fly and convert it into a purchasing act. We’re leveraging the IAB SIMID standard in order to implement shoppable ads as our first use case in this area.
At the same time, we’re also working with European-based partners like Broadpeak, Titan OS, and Impresa to create a transparent and innovative backbone for modern digital advertising.
