SVOD subscriber additions are cooling, and even as the industry leans into engagement metrics, growth still drives valuations.

That's the setup for our conversation with Rahul Patel, Principal Analyst at Ampere Analysis in London, who joins us exclusively on Inside the Stream for the first time to dig into his new report on why global SVOD services might launch free, ad-supported tiers (note, not necessarily a conventional FAST service per se).

Rahul walks us through why streamers have a history of successful "big swings" - original content, password-sharing crackdowns, lower-priced hybrid ad-supported models - and where free tiers fit. He breaks down the motivations and benefits, the risks, and his predictions for which geographies are most likely to see this happen and when.

Colin and I agree free tiers are one of the biggest areas of untapped potential for SVODs, and we expect to see real movement here soon.

Listen on for this engaging interview (32 minutes, 38 seconds)

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