A confidential pilot study showing how AI would have selected better short-form content — using your historical schedules.
What Is Nowcasting?
Nowcasting is a data-science approach that analyses historical broadcast schedules and viewer behaviour to answer one question:
"Would AI have made better decisions than what actually aired?"
Rather than changing live systems, Ancast Nowcasting evaluates what happened, models what could have happened, and quantifies the missed opportunity — in retention, engagement, and downstream value.
"This is not personalisation. This is contextual optimisation at break level, informed by real viewing behaviour."
Why This Matters Now
Broadcasters and FAST operators face a persistent challenge:
Viewer drop-off during breaks remains high
Promo effectiveness varies widely by placement and sequence
Small editorial decisions have disproportionate impact
Existing measurement tools are too coarse for break-level insight
Optimisation is often intuition-led rather than evidence-led
Nowcasting exposes where value is being lost — and where it could be recovered.
What the Pilot Study Does
The Nowcasting pilot is a desktop, non-integrated data-science exercise.
Using historical schedules, viewership data, and content metadata, we model:
How audiences actually behaved during breaks
Where and when viewers tuned out
Which promos or short-form assets performed best in context
What an AI-driven sequencing decision would have looked like
The predicted uplift if different decisions had been made
No live systems.
No workflow disruption.
No operational risk.
What You Receive
The pilot produces an executive-ready insight pack, including:
1. Break-by-Break Counterfactual Analysis
What aired vs what AI would have recommended
Clear explanation of why different choices were favoured
Retention and engagement impact per break
2. Promo Effectiveness Intelligence
Which promos resonate with which cohorts
Sequencing patterns that reduce drop-off
Identification of "high-risk" break moments
3. Uplift & Value Estimation
Predicted percentage improvement in break retention
Downstream impact on tune-in and audience flow
Commercial implications, framed for decision-makers
4. Visual A/B Illustration
A simple, compelling side-by-side showing:
Original break composition
AI-optimised alternative
Designed to support internal discussion and buy-in.
Why We Start With Short-Form Content
Promos and other short-form assets are the ideal starting point because they are:
High-frequency (more data, faster insight)
Editorially flexible
Easier to optimise than full programme schedules
Directly linked to retention and downstream viewing
This allows us to prove value before expanding into deeper scheduling or real-time optimisation.
How This Is Different
Nowcasting is not:
A scheduling system
A real-time optimisation engine
A replacement for editorial judgement
It is:
An evidence layer
A decision-support capability
A way to quantify opportunity before committing to change
Think of it as strategic intelligence, not software.
Confidential by Design
All Ancast Nowcasting discussions are conducted under NDA.
No proprietary broadcaster data is exposed publicly
No methodologies are disclosed without mutual agreement
Pilot scope and data usage are agreed upfront
This is designed for organisations that take data, IP, and editorial integrity seriously.
Who This Is For
Ancast Nowcasting is relevant to:
FAST channel operators
Broadcasters with promo-heavy schedules
Digital and streaming teams exploring optimisation
Strategy, data, and commercial leadership
Organisations considering AI — but wanting evidence first
Interested in Exploring This Further?
If you'd like to understand how Ancast Nowcasting could apply to your channels or catalogue, we offer a confidential briefing to discuss:
Your specific pain points
What data would be analysed
What insights the pilot could deliver
Whether a pilot study makes sense for you
No obligation. No technical commitment.
Request NDA or Book a Strategy Call
About Ancast Intelligence
Ancast Intelligence works with broadcasters, FAST operators, and media organisations exploring how AI can improve editorial, commercial, and operational decision-making.