Monetized FAST channel supply
Your library, live as monetized FAST channels
ChannelForge turns the videos you already have into always-on, standards-based channels — with SCTE-35 ad breaks a server-side ad-insertion system fills with real ads, a published EPG, and an as-run log. Delivered to FAST platforms, and to YouTube or any RTMP too. Live in production today.
Real channels are on air right now — see one below. Creators can also start free.
Watch Yoga & You
Loads the live HLS player
A real channel: Yoga & You, scheduled, streamed and monitored by ChannelForge — straight from the HLS origin, nobody pressing buttons. To see the ad breaks filled with real ads by the SSAI pipeline, watch it on FAST World TV.
For content owners, aggregators & distributors
Supply FAST channels — with the ads in them
This is what ChannelForge is built for: standards-based FAST channels that monetize themselves, end to end. Real channels are on air today — a monitored HLS origin signals SCTE-35 ad breaks, a server-side ad insertion (SSAI) system stitches real ads into each break, and every break is reconciled. The whole pipeline is live, and you can watch it running.
End-to-end ad monetization
The origin signals each ad break as SCTE-35 EXT-X-CUE-OUT/CUE-IN
+ DATERANGE and airs a “we’ll be right back” barker through
the window. An integrated SSAI ad server detects the avails and stitches
real ads into every break — with per-channel VAST ad-tag provisioning and
per-break reconciliation of what aired.
Standards delivery, EPG & captions
A monitored HLS origin with a stable per-channel URL and WebVTT captions, plus public guide feeds a distributor pulls directly: a DTD-conformant XMLTV guide, a TV-Anytime rendering, and a now/next feed. The validated, versioned EPG regenerates as the schedule rolls and can be pushed to S3/SFTP/HTTP.
Agreements, certification & operations
Move a distribution agreement draft → live through a certification
checklist — the origin only serves certified channels. Then run it all from the
dashboard: a live NOC wallboard of fleet health, output probes, an
incident lifecycle, signed retrying webhooks, and optional
primary/backup failover.
ChannelForge is one of three services in a working FAST ecosystem: ChannelForge supplies the channels and ad signalling, an SSAI ad server inserts the ads, and the FAST World TV player plays the result — a channel guide, ad-break markers on the scrubber, and ads that actually play in the breaks.
How it works
Three steps from library to live
Your files are referenced where they already live — never copied into someone else's silo. Each video is prepared for broadcast exactly once; after that, running a channel costs about 1% of a CPU core.
Connect your videos
Upload from your computer, or point at where they already are. Every file is analyzed and made broadcast-ready automatically.
Programme & monetize
Group videos into collections, set the rules — ordering, bumpers, fixed slots, no-repeat and rights windows — and place SCTE-35 ad breaks. Generate a week of schedule you can see as a TV-guide calendar, with a published EPG.
Deliver — and walk away
Publish to a FAST platform via a monitored standards HLS origin (ad breaks, EPG, captions) where SSAI fills the breaks with real ads — and/or push to YouTube and any RTMP. Multiple destinations stream from a single pipeline.
Built to be left alone
What “set and forget” actually means here
Never dead air
If a file is missing or fails, the channel substitutes: the block's fallback, then your filler collection, then a standby slate. Viewers never see a black screen.
Schedules extend themselves
A running channel never runs out of programme. The schedule keeps rolling forward on its own — you regenerate only when you want the programming to change.
Self-healing streams
A supervisor watches every channel with a heartbeat. If a stream drops, it reconnects; if a worker dies, it's respawned; every incident becomes an alert, and recoveries close them.
Broadcast-grade records
An immutable as-run log records what actually aired — planned vs. actual times, substitutions, outcomes — exportable as CSV for sponsors and licensors, and reconciled per ad break.
Your files stay yours
Storage connections reference your buckets and folders — nothing is copied into a walled garden. Disconnect any time; your library is untouched.
Consistent, compliant output
Every video is normalized once — resolution, frame rate, loudness levelled to broadcast standards (EBU R128) — so your channel looks and sounds like one channel, not a playlist.
Who it's for
Made for people sitting on a library
Monetized channels from your catalog
Run many FAST channels from one library, inside their rights, and monetize every break with SSAI. Rights windows keep expired titles off air automatically; roles and audit trails keep the team accountable.
- Many channels, one library, one team
- SCTE-35 ad breaks + SSAI ad insertion, reconciled per break
- Standards HLS origin, EPG & distribution certification
- Rights-window enforcement + owner/editor/operator roles
A channel without the playout suite
Community, devotional, regional and education broadcasters get real scheduling — fixed morning slots, weekly shows, interstitials — without racks of playout hardware, delivered as a FAST channel or to YouTube/RTMP.
- Daily & weekly time anchors (DST-aware)
- TV-guide calendar of the week
- As-run logs + per-programme viewers for sponsors
Monetize your back catalog
Your older videos barely get impressions. A 24/7 live channel puts them back in front of the algorithm — live carousel, watch hours, new subscribers — while you keep making new content.
- Be live in minutes with Quick Start
- Vertical (9:16) and 60 fps channel profiles
- Per-programme viewer stats — see what to schedule more of
- Your logo on every frame; runs while you sleep
FAQ
The questions everyone asks
Can you deliver to a FAST platform or distributor, and put ads in the breaks?
Yes — it's live and monetized. ChannelForge outputs a monitored standards HLS origin that signals SCTE-35 ad breaks (EXT-X-CUE-OUT/CUE-IN + DATERANGE), airs a "we'll be right back" barker through each break, and serves WebVTT captions and public guide feeds a distributor pulls directly — a DTD-conformant XMLTV guide, a TV-Anytime rendering, and a now/next feed. An integrated server-side ad insertion (SSAI) system stitches real ads into the breaks, and each break is reconciled. Manage distribution agreements through a certification workflow, monitor a fleet NOC wallboard, and integrate via signed webhooks — all from the dashboard. Talk to us to run a pilot.
Where do my video files live?
Wherever they already are. Connections to S3, Drive, Dropbox or SFTP only reference your files; direct uploads go to managed storage in your workspace. Broadcast-ready copies are prepared once and stored alongside.
Do I need to re-encode my videos every day?
No. Each video is normalized to your channel's broadcast profile exactly once. After that the channel streams by repackaging — about 1% of a CPU core — which is what makes always-on channels affordable.
What happens when something breaks at 3am?
The channel keeps going: missing media is substituted (fallback → filler → slate), dropped streams reconnect with backoff, dead workers respawn, and an alert email goes to your team. Every substitution is recorded in the as-run log.
Can I also stream to YouTube and other platforms?
Yes — any RTMP(S) destination: YouTube Live, Twitch, Kick, Facebook Live, a CDN ingest. Multiple destinations run from a single pipeline, simultaneously, alongside the FAST HLS origin.
Does YouTube allow 24/7 streams of my existing videos?
Yes — streaming content you own the rights to is a normal, supported use of YouTube Live, and always-on channels are an established format. Monetization follows your channel's standing as usual. What you must not stream is content you don't have rights to; ChannelForge's rights windows help you enforce that.
Can I see how many people watch?
Yes. For YouTube destinations, ChannelForge samples live concurrent viewers and joins them with the as-run log — so you see average and peak viewers per programme, not just a channel-level number. That tells you what to schedule more of.
What does it cost?
ChannelForge is in its pilot programme: content owners and broadcasters get white-glove onboarding, and creators can start free. Email us for pilot terms.
Put your catalog on air — monetized
Standards-based FAST channels with the ads already in them. See a real one running, then book a pilot.
Book a FAST pilot Watch it live