What Does OTT Platform Mean?
The term OTT is an abbreviation for Over-The-Top services, following the digital distribution model to deliver media content, like movies, shows, music, and more, to internet users directly. Simply put, OTT platforms or OTT services providing platforms are the database of digital media content that users stream over the internet connection.
When it allows users to stream digital media content as they wish, it’s considered an on-demand OTT streaming platform. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, etc., are the types of on-demand OTT streaming platforms.
Users can stream these platforms on any digital device (supporting internet connectivity), such as smartphones, PCs, smart TVs, or normal TVs attached to smart TV sticks, and with their streaming subscriptions.
Types of OTT Streaming Applications
Over-the-top (OTT) streaming applications have become an essential part of our life and have become increasingly popular due to their variety of offerings over traditional streaming options. So, here are the different types of video streaming apps:
On-demand Video Streaming Platforms
Today, everyone uses smart devices, if not smart TVs yet, but definitely smartphones and laptops. It has given them access to on-demand video streaming platforms, allowing users to explore the kind of content they want to, pause it where they want to, and resume it from where they left off with forward and backward controls. More like DVD controls we used to have traditionally, but with a difference of internet connectivity.
There are also sub-types in the on-demand video streaming platforms, which include:
Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) Platforms
As the name suggests, to access a library of content on such platforms, users have to pay a subscription fee. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, etc., fall into this OTT platform type.
Ad-supported Video on Demand (AVoD) Platforms
This type of platform offers free access to its content to users but with advertising in line. So, in this, users have to pay subscription charges to get access to an uninterrupted content streaming experience. YouTube Ad-free, Pluto TV, Tubi, etc., are these types of OTT platforms.
Transactional Video on Demand (TVoD) Platforms
It is a rental or purchase option where users pay for renting or purchasing individual titles for a specific period. This type includes popular platforms, like Google Play Movies & TV, YouTube Movies, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video Rent, etc.
These types of OTT on-demand platforms can be multi-genre-based or even specific to genres, interests, networks, or audiences, catering to particular tastes. Examples of genre-specific on-demand OTT streaming platforms include CuriosityStream, Discovery+, Crunchyroll, CNN, Masterclass, Paramount+, and many others.
Live Video Streaming Platforms
Live video streaming apps provide channels, businesses, and other individuals a platform to create their subject-specific accounts/channels to broadcast their events, concerts, competitions, news, and more.
In these apps, users can directly visit their channels to watch their live broadcasting and even mark it to get reminders about the channel’s updates.
YouTube Live, Twitch, Facebook Live, etc., are types of live video streaming platforms.
Apart from these two, you can also find other types of OTT platforms, like multichannel networks (MCNs), aggregating two or more channels into one platform, with a shared success.
Why Do Modern Users Prefer OTT Platforms Over Traditional Channels?
Gone are the days when we had to wait for tomorrow to catch up with our favorite show’s latest episode and even sometimes miss a chance to do so. OTT platforms, with the setup of a completely new way of grasping content and entertaining ourselves, have revolutionized the way the entertainment and media industry operates.If we talk about Netflix for the US region only, then on average, a user spends his/her 22.4% of minutes watching its content, followed by YouTube with 20.4%.
And who are these avid OTT streamers? The majority of OTT streams are Gen-Zs and Millennials worldwide.
But why do they choose OTT over traditional TV channels? So, here are the reasons why OTT took over traditional channels and has become favorite of today’s youth:
Content Variety
The very first advantage users can get from most OTT platforms is access to the variety of content of different genres, languages, and from different countries and ethnicities.
The increasing popularity of OTT platforms made them create their original/special content, provide faster access and premium to the latest content, and more.
And if we, as users, are getting access to new types of content every day, then it’s pretty understandable that we want to go for it.
On-demand Accessibility
With access to the content at scale, users do want to stream them as they want to rather than waiting for it to stream by the channel operator traditionally.
The commencement of OTT platforms has given this accessibility and control to users to watch what they want to, at what time they want to pause/resume playing, add media to watch in a queue, download it for offline access, and much more.
Personalization
TV channels are personalized for their medium, but what about different users with different choices? So, traditionally, they were forced to watch something they might not want to at that moment.
Thankfully, the advent of OTT platforms like Netflix, with the command over the selection of the content, also utilized the power of AI/ML technology to provide users with personalized suggestions they might want to watch based on the shows they liked and watched.
Not only did it bring personalization to the level of one common shared screen only but also to all screens it offers in its one account. So, each user using the same OTT account can have their personalized space of entertainment.
Non-stop Entertainment
Back in the time, when we used to watch movies from traditional TV channels, we used to hate advertisements due to the interruption they cause. And, of course, nobody likes to have such.
The OTT platform set us free from some such advertisements and interruptions they cause with its premium subscriptions and provided us with non-stop entertainment. Not just that, it even introduced us to the binge-watching trend of finishing the show we like as soon as possible.
Device Flexibility
OTT services have broken those silos to watch entertainment media only on TV while making all those accessible from any device we want to, whether it is smartphones, PCs, smart TVs, etc. So that users’ entertainment does not get limited to screens and has boundless entertainment.
Cost-effectiveness
Traditionally, we’ve been accustomed to paying monthly and annual fees to access our favorite TV channels. Even with occasional offers such as receiving one or two months free upon paying annual subscription fees, we haven’t achieved complete control and accessibility over the kind of entertainment content we desire to match our mood.
However, the emergence of OTT platforms has further heightened the convenience of accessing entertainment content. These platforms offer competitive pricing for monthly, quarterly, and even yearly subscriptions.
So, all these reasons are behind the success of OTT platforms, but we do want to know the positive points that brought Netflix to our attention. So, the next section is all about that.
How Did Netflix Come Into the Limelight?
Starting an entertainment industry-based business initially with an online DVD Rental-by-Mail service back in 1997 to finally starting an online on-demand video streaming app-based business, Netflix has evolved a lot. But the question is how it became the OTT giant it is today?
All the credit goes to the continuous evolution-based culture of Netflix.
In 2007, when Netflix entered the online video streaming business with its application, it enabled users with internet connectivity to get more accessibility to the entertainment content. This transition was crucial in anticipating the shift toward digital content consumption with the evolution of the internet generation.
Access to the original content and licensing agreements with various entertainment and media studios and networks have become key drivers for it to expand its content library.
The continuous improvement according to technological evolution, the improvement of app algorithms, the adoption of AI/ML technology for data-driven recommendations, and the Gaming revolution made Netflix even more innovative to stand out in the market competition.
And above all, the credit for its success majorly goes to its exceptional app UI/UX design and navigation that makes users onboarding and their journey easy. And the equal experience across smart devices is a plus one reason to choose Netflix over other platforms.
When the app UI/UX design of Netflix is in talk, how can we forget its thoughtful branding and marketing?
The combination of the Black and Red colors, two super highlighting and contrasting branding colors, makes a rich, psychological impact on users. The “N” logo design with the compelling effect of it coming close to us and wrapping up the screen with multi-colored rainbow-like stripes – which we sometimes see when turning ON/OFF TV, gives us the comfort and thrilling kind of vibe.
