BI’s Abby Brenker On Why Publishers Need To Move Beyond YouTube
“Our broader strategy is focused on building deeper, more habitual engagement with our audience, not simply maximizing reach,” says Abby Brenker, VP, Business Development, Business Insider. We sat down with Brenker to get the lowdown on their decision to launch their own FAST channel and the role Magnite played in making that happen.
ALAN WOLK (AW): Business Insider has built a massive audience on YouTube. Why launch a standalone FAST channel now?
ABBY BRENKER (AB): FAST/CTV is the natural next step in the evolution of our video presence. We have a deep library of premium video journalism, Emmy Award-winning documentaries, and formats that lend themselves very well to an always-on, lean-back viewing experience. Connected TV gives us another way to meet audiences where they are, particularly when they are watching on the biggest screen at home.
AW: You talk about gaining more control over the viewer experience. What aspects of the experience did you want to control that you couldn’t before?
AB: On third-party platforms, the platform ultimately determines much of the experience: what content is recommended, what viewers see next, how programming is packaged, and how advertising is delivered.
With our own FAST channel, we can create a more intentional Business Insider experience. We can program the channel around the subjects our audience comes to us for (helping people get ahead in work and life!) and create a thoughtful flow between documentaries, explainers, investigations, and other premium video formats.
AW: What capabilities did Magnite bring that were particularly important as you built the channel?
AB: Magnite's SpringServe technology gives us a core ad-serving and programmatic platform through which we can manage direct and programmatic demand in one place. The flexibility and operational efficiency of that infrastructure were particularly important for us.
AW: Many publishers have struggled to build sustainable video businesses outside the major platforms. What gives you confidence that the economics work in a FAST environment?
AB: We are approaching FAST from a position of demonstrated strength rather than starting from scratch. Business Insider already has tens of millions of subscribers across our YouTube channels, and we have built one of the largest digital video audiences in news. We see very strong viewership on CTV already through our partnership with YouTube. Our journalism has won Emmys, Murrows, Webbys, Loebs, and other major awards, and we have a substantial library of high-quality programming that can be curated for an always-on channel.
AW: Do you see the FAST channel as a distribution play, a monetization play, or both?
AB: It is both, and the two reinforce each other.
From a distribution perspective, FAST allows us to bring Business Insider’s journalism to viewers on leading connected-TV platforms and to reach audiences in a different viewing mode. Someone may watch an individual Business Insider video on their phone during the day and then spend much more time with a curated stream of our programming on their television in the evening.
From a monetization perspective, the channel creates new premium CTV inventory and gives us more flexibility in how we work with advertisers. Ultimately, the opportunity is to build a more direct relationship with both sides of the marketplace: viewers who value our journalism and advertisers who want to reach an engaged audience in a high-quality environment.
AW: One of the reasons publishers have historically relied on platforms like YouTube is that they don’t have to build an advertising operation from scratch. How important was it to find a partner that could help solve that problem?
AB: Magnite allows us to move quickly, operate efficiently, and maintain flexibility as our FAST/CTV offerings continue to grow, providing access to the scale and sophistication that advertisers expect.
AW: One of Magnite’s strengths is its relationships with agencies and buyers. How much does that change the way you think about selling and monetizing your video inventory?
AB: Business Insider already has deep relationships with major advertisers, but connected TV has its own buying ecosystem, workflows, and expectations. Magnite’s relationships with leading agencies and buyers give us a more direct path into that marketplace and help make our inventory easier for advertisers to access.
AW: Do you think we’re at the beginning of a broader shift where publishers start building more direct relationships with viewers in connected TV?
AB: Yes, and for Business Insider, that direct relationship is especially important. Our broader strategy is focused on building deeper, more habitual engagement with our audience, not simply maximizing reach. We see this as part of a broader evolution toward publishers meeting audiences across platforms while developing more direct relationships with them wherever possible.
