Over-the-Top television (or OTT) continues to grow and evolve as more and more viewers are making this option part of their overall media experience. I’d like to look at a few trends that are developing this year, according to a recent report by Applicaster.
First, what is OTT? OTT is any online content provider that offers streaming media as a stand-alone product. It usually refers to video-on-demand platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime, but can also refer to audio streaming, messaging services, or internet-based voice calling solutions.
OTT has a lot of advantages over more traditional television options. It’s considered more cost-effective, it doesn’t require a television set to watch, and now there is plenty of original content being created by many OTT service providers.
So, what will we be seeing new this year? For one, the OTT experience is becoming more personalized. And this is not only with new ways to get you the content you are looking for, but also in the advertising that you will see. And although OTT can be less expensive than traditional cable because many viewers have multiple services, platforms are looking at new ways to continue to make the value of their service more significant. For example, get ready to see more FAST (free ad-supported TV) coming from many providers, and bundling of paid services will be much more common as well.
Streaming sports programming is becoming more and more popular. In this past year, Amazon premiered Thursday Night Football, the NBA announced a streaming app with Microsoft, and Major League Baseball made partnerships with both Apple TV+ and Peacock. Expect to see more collaborations this year.
More businesses have begun to use OTT services to create content for their constituents. Expect to see more online streaming from schools and universities, health care practices, and sports and fitness brands.
Short-form video is becoming more popular on streaming services. Last year Netflix introduced the Fast Laughs feature. And since these videos tend to be very popular with both Generation Z and Generation Alpha, we will continue to see more providers offer short-form video.
We will also see more gaming applications integrated with streaming services as the gaming industry continues to grow.
These are just some of the ways we will see OTT continue to grow this year, and in the years to come. Stay tuned.
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