A platform that allows users to access video content with their time preferences. Without any schedule, you can watch content anywhere from any device. Users will have complete control to pause, fast forward content.
Example: Netflix, Disney+ are a few of the top VOD platforms.

Video on demand (VoD) services is ushering in an era of convenience for the digital consumer. These are newer, sometimes much more affordable, alternatives to cable entertainment. Connectivity allows consumers to shift to VOD platforms, without sacrificing quality content.

Now, all eyes are on Asia as it’s predicted to be the main driver of growth in the VOD industry. Here’s a list of the best VoD platforms used among Asians.

Analysis of VOD Platform Market Trends

The Video-on-Demand (VOD) platform market in Asia is characterized by rapid growth and diversity. Key factors driving this growth include:

1. High Internet Penetration and Mobile Usage – Asia’s large and growing internet user base, coupled with high mobile device penetration, provides a fertile ground for VOD services.
2. Diverse Consumer Preferences – Asian audiences have varied content preferences, leading to a demand for a wide range of genres and languages. This diversity encourages VOD platforms to offer a mix of international, regional, and local content.
3. Rise of Local Players – Unlike Western markets dominated by global giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime, Asia sees strong competition from local players like iQiyi in China, Hotstar in India, and Iflix in Southeast Asia, which offer content tailored to local tastes.
4. Original Content Production – Following the global trend, Asian VOD platforms are increasingly investing in original content to differentiate themselves and attract subscribers.
5. Technological Innovation – Adoption of advanced technologies such as AI for personalized content recommendation and high-quality streaming capabilities (like 4K) is becoming a standard among Asian VOD services.
6. Regulatory Environment – The regulatory landscape in Asia varies significantly across countries, affecting the operation and content strategy of VOD platforms, particularly in terms of censorship and local content quotas.
7. Monetization Models – There’s a mix of monetization strategies in the Asian VOD market, including subscription-based models, ad-supported content, and pay-per-view options, catering to the varied economic capabilities of the audience.
8. Partnerships and Collaborations – Strategic partnerships between VOD platforms and telecom providers, content creators, and other tech firms are common, aimed at expanding content libraries and improving service delivery.
9. Challenges – Key challenges include content piracy, intense competition, and infrastructural limitations in certain regions.

Successful Content Strategies of VOD platforms

1. Local Content Creation – Platforms like Hotstar in India and iQiyi in China focus heavily on local content. For example, Hotstar streams popular Indian cricket leagues and iQiyi produces Chinese dramas, aligning with regional tastes.
2. Original Programming – Netflix and Amazon Prime have set a trend in producing original content. Netflix’s investment in original content reached $17 billion in 2020, leading to hits like “Stranger Things”.
3. Data-Driven Content Development – Platforms use viewer data to inform content creation. Netflix’s recommendation algorithm, for instance, plays a crucial role in retaining viewers by suggesting highly personalized content.
4. Diverse Genre Representation – Successful platforms offer a wide range of genres, from drama to reality shows, catering to diverse preferences.
5. International Expansion with Localized Content – Netflix’s strategy includes localizing content and interface for different regions, and producing local originals like “Sacred Games” in India and “Kingdom” in South Korea.
6. Partnerships for Content Acquisition – Collaborations with local and international studios help platforms like Amazon Prime and Hulu expand their content libraries.

Top Video-on-Demand Platforms from China

1. Youku Tudou

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, PC, Smart TV

Countries: China

The most populous nation in the world occupies almost half (47%) of Asia’s video on demand (VOD) market. Yet the Chinese don’t turn to global brands such as Netflix and YouTube. They stream on local websites, one of which is Youku Tudou.

Founded in September 2005, Youku Tudou started as China’s version of YouTube. E-commerce giant Alibaba acquired the company later on in 2016. It has seen tremendous growth since then, clocking in 500 million users monthly.

The video on-demand platform allows users to view, search, and share videos through many devices. It has a vast video library—from TV dramas, music videos, interviews, and the like. Like Netflix, it also offers a subscription service for its video content.

Pros – Extensive library of local content; user-friendly interface.
Cons – Limited international content; some issues with streaming quality.
User Review – “Popular for its wide variety of Chinese content, but some users report issues with buffering.”

2. Iqiyi

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, PC, Smart TV
Countries: China

Iqiyi is also one of China’s top video-on-demand platforms. Baidu, China’s largest search engine company, launched Iqiyi in April 2010. It is currently the largest VOD platform in terms of hours spent, nearly 6 billion hours per month. The video-on-demand website also amasses 500 million active users monthly.

Iqiyi offers a hybrid freemium and subscription model. Their users can watch videos free of charge, although these are not free of ads. Premium subscribers, on the other hand, have access to ad-free video streaming, as well as exclusive releases. The streaming site also established entertainment production companies to create their video content.

Users of the VOD platform also have access to graphic novels, online games, and merchandise from the company’s intellectual property.

Pros – Large selection of Chinese dramas and movies; high-quality original content.
Cons – Subscription required for premium content; ad-heavy in free version.
User Review – “Highly praised for its original series, but ads can be intrusive.”

3. Tencent Video

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Countries: China

Tencent Video is also leading China’s video-on-demand pack. Tencent, the makers of messaging services WeChat and QQ, created this subscription service in April 2011. The VOD platform has 62.59 million paid subscribers as of February 2018. It also reached 137 million daily active users in the fourth quarter of 2017.

VOD streaming service attributes its massive success to its commitment to delivering high-quality content. Their self-commissioned programs consist of TV drama series, movies, variety shows, and more; which contributed to users watching more hours on the website. Its comprehensive library also contained exclusive HBO content—the only one in China—so subscribers can get caught up with well-beloved shows like Game of Thrones.

Pros – Exclusive content, including popular Chinese TV shows and movies.
Cons – Some content is region-locked; occasional app glitches.
User Review – “Appreciated for its exclusive content, but some international users face access issues.”

4. LeTV

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Countries: China

Way before Netflix delivered the video on-demand experience, LeTV was first. Released in 2004, it is now one of the largest online companies in China, currently valued at US$6.43 billion.

LeTV provides an extensive library with over 100,000 TV episodes and 5,000 film titles. It specializes in film and television drama, both from local and international productions. The video on demand (VOD) platform offers free, ad-supported content, subscription options, and pay-per-view content.

Pros – Offers both Chinese and international content; good streaming quality.
Cons – Subscription model can be confusing; occasional server downtimes.
User Review – “Good mix of content but some complaints about customer service.”

Top Video-on-Demand Platforms from Southeast Asia

5. iflix

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives

More Asian VOD platforms, particularly in Southeast Asia, are getting a hold of the emerging middle-class population. Like Iflix: it prides itself on delivering high-quality content in developing markets. This approach gained them 15 million subscribers since it started in 2015.

Iflix has a vast library of local and international entertainment available for streaming and downloading. It uses a localized model not only for content, as they adapt their payment options depending on the country. Philippine users, for example, can pay through prepaid data instead of using a credit card service. It also lets you watch videos on demand for one low monthly fee, along with 30 days of unlimited VIP access.

Pros – Strong selection of local and Hollywood content; affordable pricing.
Cons – Limited availability in regions outside Southeast Asia.
User Review – “Known for its affordability and local content, but has a smaller library compared to global giants.”

6. HOOQ

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Countries: India, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand

Entertainment companies Sony Pictures Entertainment and WarnerMedia, and Singaporean telecom Singtel released the video on-demand service in 2016. It is the market leader in highly-populated Indonesia, amassing 20% active app users in the country.

Aside from a proportional yet vast amount of local and foreign releases, what makes HOOQ stand out is its “sachet pricing”. It will be the first to launch daily pricing options for as low as US$0.25. The VOD platform also offers a freemium, ad-free option for its subscribers. Customers can watch the first episode of all TV series for free.

Pros – Good selection of local and international shows and movies; affordable.
Cons – Discontinued service in 2020.
User Review – “Was popular in Southeast Asia for its range and price, but ceased operations.”

7. Viu

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Countries: Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand

With the recent global interest in Korean culture, one must surf through the K-waves: and Viu offers that. Hong Kong telecom PCCW released the service in October 2015. Since then, it has gained 16 million monthly active users as of April 2018.

The VOD platform is a treasure trove of Kdramas, as well as other original Asian content. Episodes first released on cable TV are uploaded hours after the telecast, complete with accurate subtitles. You can use the video on-demand service for free, although these are ad-supported. Premium subscribers, on the other hand, get extra features such as watching in HD.

Pros – Excellent source for Korean dramas; timely updates.
Cons – Limited content variety outside of Korean shows.
User Review – “Highly recommended for K-drama fans, though some desire more diverse content.”

8. Viki

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Smart TV (Android, Apple, Amazon Fire, Roku)
Countries: Worldwide (based in San Francisco, Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul)

Viki is a video on demand website founded in Singapore in 2007. Rakuten Group of Companies acquired Viki three years after, joining big tech giants such as Viber and Lyft. Following the deal, the service garnered 35 million monthly active users.

The service differentiates itself from making the Asian experience global and communal. Although users can access it from anywhere in the world, its library is primarily Asian. Unlike most streaming services that are more for solitary binging, the VOD platform emphasizes the fan experience. Viki users can create “fan collections”, also building communities by allowing fans to interact with each other through timed comments. Plus, they have a LEARN mode that allows users to pick up the languages of the content they’re watching.

Pros – Wide variety of international content; community-subtitled shows.
Cons – Some content is region-locked; ads in free version.
User Review – “Fans enjoy the community features and content variety but dislike the ads and region restrictions.”

9. Catchplay

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Smart TV (Apple TV, Chromecast)
Countries: Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan

Launched in early 2013, Catchplay is an over-the-top (OTT) streaming company based in Taiwan. Its VOD platform reached around one million subscribers, making it one of the most popular digital movie channels in Taiwan.

Users can access Catchplay through transactional and subscription videos on demand. Aside from having an unlimited-use film library that provides detailed browsing information, Catchplay has a rental service for newer movies. It also allows easy-switching of viewing devices without interruption. Users can watch for free, while premium subscribers can pay US$9.50 monthly.

Pros – Strong library of movies; user-friendly interface.
Cons – Limited selection of TV shows; mainly focused on movies.
User Review – “Movie lovers appreciate its collection, but some desire more TV series.”

10. OONA

Platforms: iOS, Android
Countries: Indonesia

OONA is an advertising-centered VOD platform created in 2017, allowing users to watch TV for free. Its recent partnership with communications giant Telkom Indonesia allows 185 million Indonesians to have subscription-less content.

OONA tags itself as the “YouTube of TV”. It’s free, with no subscription nor data needed. Viewers can watch their favorite show when they want, how they want, without commitments. One of its unique selling points is a virtual currency called coins, which can be redeemed for Telcom Indonesian products and other goods.

Pros – Free to use; includes a unique virtual currency system.
Cons – Limited content selection; primarily Indonesian content.
User Review – “Appreciated for being free, but with a limited and niche content library.”

Top Video-on-Demand Platforms from India

11. Hotstar

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Smart TV (Apple TV)
Countries: India

A significant chunk of the Asian video on demand market in India, in which streaming users ballooned to 49.8 million in 2018. One of the huge players in the Indian VOD scene is Hotstar. Their humongous success is evident in the first 40 days of its launch, as they have amassed 10 million app downloads.
Hotstar is a VOD platform that offers live video streaming, hence the record-breaking number of users in the app. This allows the users to watch live sports such as cricket, the Premier League, and Formula 1 with ease.

It also provides Bollywood content, alongside American shows and blockbusters. Users have the option to browse a huge amount of ad-supported content for free or choose premium membership plans which are monthly recurring.

Pros – Extensive range of Indian content; includes live sports streaming.
Cons – Streaming quality can vary; geo-restrictions outside India.
User Review – “Highly popular in India, especially for cricket streaming, but users outside India face access issues”

12. Eros Now

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Smart TV (Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Google Chromecast)
Countries: Worldwide (based in India)

Probably one of the oldest in this list, Eros Now is India’s go-to VOD platform ever since August 2004. It prides itself in having the widest range of music and movies in several Indian languages. Currently, they have 100 million registered users and 7.9 million paying subscribers.

While local competitor Hotstar specializes in sports, Eros Now is a gold mine for music videos. Alongside these MVs was the vast content of Bollywood movies (over 10,000!), letting anyone from the world access Indian entertainment. The service has the basic option which allows you to watch unlimited music videos, music, movie trailers, and shorts for free. Premium users, on the other hand, have the access to unlimited movies and TV shows and more video on demand.

Pros – Vast Bollywood content library; includes music videos.
Cons – Occasional streaming issues; user interface can be improved.
User Review – “Bollywood fans love the content selection, though some report technical glitches.”

13. Voot

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Countries: India

Voot is the video on demand arm of Indian channel Viacom 18. Coming from one of India’s largest growing media networks, it aims to deliver fresh content. It has 32 million active monthly users, spending an average of 50 minutes per day.

Users can search from Voot’s library containing 45,000 hours, which includes TV shows, films, cartoons, and originals from MTV, Nickelodeon, and more. The best part of this VOD platform? It’s free.

Pros – Wide range of Indian content; includes shows from Viacom 18.
Cons – Ad-supported; some content only available in India.
User Review – “Popular for Indian TV shows and movies, but ads can be a downside.”

Top Video-on-Demand Platforms from South Korea

14. Watcha Play

Platforms: Web
Countries: South Korea

Watcha Play is a subscription VOD platform that rolled out last January 2016. It has been gaining traction in the Korean video on demand market, having 640,000 subscribers so far.

Dubbed as the “Korean Netflix”, Watcha Play’s fee is cheaper than Netflix’s charge, despite giving the same amount of local and foreign content. The movies are collated from Watcha, a “machine-learning-driven personalized content recommendation service”. This allows their users to get the best recommendations on what they’ll watch.

Pros – Curated content; personalized recommendations.
Cons – Focused mainly on Korean content; limited international titles.
User Review – “Praised for its curated Korean content, but those looking for more international variety might be disappointed.”

15. Tving

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Countries: South Korea

One of Korea’s video on demand pioneers, Tving continues to provide high-quality streaming services. CJ E&M, a Korean entertainment company, acquired it in 2016. Since then, it has had 7 million subscribers and 8 million app downloaders.

Tving offers not only CJ E&M content, but they’re also expanding to providing clips from other networks. The VOD platform is aiming to give unlimited movie screenings and live professional baseball games in the future. Recently it launched its global counterpart, Global Tving, where people all over the world can watch content in real-time.

Pros – Diverse range of Korean content; offers live TV streaming.
Cons – Primarily focused on Korean audience; limited international reach.
User Review – “Appreciated for its comprehensive Korean content but less known globally.”

16. Pooq

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Smart TV (Google TV, Samsung TV, LG Smart TV, Chromecast)
Countries: South Korea

Pooq is a Korean VOD platform established in 2012. It is the joint venture of KBS, MBC, and SBS, three of Korea’s biggest broadcasting companies. As of October 2017, it has 3 million registered users, making it Korea’s #1 OTT online video player.

Pooq delivers real-time streaming from 64 different channels. It also has a library of 6,000 movies and TV series, including content from BBC and Cartoon Network.

Pros – Offers content from major Korean broadcasters; live streaming options.
Cons – Limited to Korean content; may require a Korean IP for access.
User Review – “Valued for local content and live TV, but accessibility is an issue for international users.”

Other Video-on-Demand Platforms

17. dTV

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Smart TV
Countries: Japan

Although Japan’s video on demand market is relatively new, forecasts say that it will grow to US$2.4 billion in 2022. dTV is Japan’s market leader, occupying a 20.3% share among other VOD sites. It is a joint venture with entertainment company Avex Broadcasting and Communications, and mobile operator NTT Docomo. Estimates say the ott broadcasting iservice has more than 4.51 million subscribers.

dTv delivers 120,000 titles from different genres, from 13 channels. Subscription and movie rental services are offered, and these are charged by title and format.

Pros – Wide range of Japanese content; affordable subscription.
Cons – Content mostly in Japanese; limited global availability.
User Review – “Popular in Japan for local content, less known outside.”

18. Crunchyroll

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Smart TV (Chromecast, Apple TV), Windows 10, and game consoles
Countries: Worldwide (based on the USA)

Crunchyroll is the largest streaming service focused on Japanese animation (anime) and East Asian content. Starting in May 2006, it grew into 35 million community members worldwide.

The VOD platform provides over 900 anime shows and 200 dramas, including fan favorites such as Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist. Free users can access a small library of content, along with the advertisements. A 14-day free trial is also an option for new users.

Pros – Extensive library of anime; available globally.
Cons – Ads in the free version; some region-locked content.
User Review – “Highly popular among anime fans worldwide, though some complain about the ad-supported model.”

19. Amazon Prime Video

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Smart TVs, Windows 10, set-top boxes, and game consoles
Countries: Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam

Of course, the mainstream Western services will eventually find their way into Asia. Amazon Prime Video launched its VOD platform in 11 Asian countries last 2016. It is the streaming platform of the biggest e-commerce website in the world, containing critically-acclaimed shows like Transparent, and Mozart in the Jungle.

Customers can try out free for seven days, as well as sign up for the service at US$2.99 for the first six months. Subscribers are also given a Twitch Prime membership, granting them exclusive content on the said gaming platform.

Pros – Diverse content library; includes Amazon Originals.
Cons – Some content is region-specific; interface could be more user-friendly.
User Review – “Praised for original content and movie selection, but some find the interface less intuitive.”

20. Netflix

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Smart TVs, Windows 10, set-top boxes, and game consoles
Countries: Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Netflix is one of the most popular and the best video on-demand apps. Netflix changed the face of video on demand by providing binge-able original content. Its global expansion in 2016 cemented itself as an entertainment powerhouse.

The quality didn’t change, as Asians can chill to shows such as Stranger Things, Westworld, and Narcos, among many others. Premium users can create different profiles for every person using Netflix, allowing it to give recommended content for each.

Interested to learn more about how Netflix got started? Here’s a blog covering history of Netflix to help you know how the company got founded and challenges it had to go through before becoming one of the streaming giants.

Pros – Large, diverse content library; strong original programming.
Cons – Subscription cost; content varies by region.
User Review – “Widely popular for its range and originals, though some users are concerned about rising costs.”

How To Build Your Own Video On Demand Platform?

The video on demand industry is projected to grow at a rate of 3.6% by 2024. It is a good opportunity for content creators to create content and build their video on demand websites. 

Content: To get started, plan your type of content for the audience. Content can be of any industry like entertainment, sports, education, etc.

Video Monetization: You can explore various monetization platforms. In advertisements, you can show other companies ads on your platform. With a subscription model similar to Netflix you can charge on a monthly basis for content access. In the Pay-Per-View model, charges are applied on watching a specific video like conferences, events, or shows. Choosing the absolute right monetization model based on your audience, type of content and revenue goals is must for creating a successful video monetization platform.

VOD Streaming Requirements: 

• Make sure to have a good internet connection to stream high-quality videos. 
• Select a good hosting solution and CDN that offers quick video access. 
• A Video streaming service should have robust security for authorized content access. Security features like DRM, Watermark, Restricted Domains can safeguard your content. 

Vdocipher offers a content management system to host your video content with advanced features like DRM encryption, Unlimited Video Storage, Video Analytics, Smart HTML5 Player.

VOD Platform

Despite hundreds of VOD streaming platforms at their disposal, most Asians prefer to copy pirated content.You can also check out our top vod streaming services for Video Hosting. If you are looking to launch a VOD platform with the highest video piracy protection, have a 30 day free trial at VdoCipher. 

FAQs

What are the best Indian VOD platforms?

Some of the best Indian VOD platforms include Hotstar, Voot, and Eros Now.

What are the Key Features to Look for in a VOD Platform?

There are several features to consider in VOD such as a well-built Video Content Management System, Customizable, Device Compatibility, Video monetization, and Security.

Why is Video on demand Important?

Video has become the most sought-after way of consuming content. VOD gives the users flexibility and functionality to watch content at their own pace where users can pause, rewind and fast forward the content. For content creators, the platform provides a great opportunity to showcase their talent.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Top 20 Online Video-On-Demand (VOD) Platforms in Asia [2023] appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Worldwide revenue for Over-the-top tv and videos is expected to cross $80 billion by 2022. It is safe to say that this phenomenon is here to stay and will slowly disrupt the traditional TV industry. Forerunners in this space will come to eventually dominate this space.

What still remains in the dark is how to go about developing a cutting-edge platform that will provide the best possible experience to users across all devices. In this blog, we have tried to outline the fundamentals of building such a platform, with relevant examples from industry leaders and other players in this space.

What is an OTT Platform?

OTT platform providers also known as Over-The-Top platforms are content providers and are growing at a rapid pace, as more and more people are switching online mediums for entertainment. A report by ComScore stated that 50 million households across the globe access OTT video, which they consume in the same time-of-day pattern as traditional TV viewers. Looking at the current scenario, it can be easily said that the video content medium has been reshaped and evolved by  OTT video streaming providers.

OTT is a method through which audio, video, and other media services are distributed directly to consumers over the internet, bypassing traditional services such as cable tv. OTT can also be thought of as a service or technology that provides users with the opportunity to deliver pre-recorded and live-streamed content. This content can be accessed via internet-enabled devices like mobiles, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, streaming sticks, and personal computers. Today, most OTT platforms offer more than just video streaming and video hosting.

Some include video monetization features i.e. to sell your video content via different models such as one-off purchases, subscriptions, rentals, or bundled packages.

Some notable examples include Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney Hotstar, and Hulu.

The OTT market can be categorized into three service types – subscription video on demand (SVOD), transactional video on demand (TVOD), and advertising video on demand (AVOD).

OTT Includes:

• Over-the-top (OTT) video viewers: Users who access the video content via an app or website that provides streaming video content. For e.g., HBO Now, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video, YouTube/YouTube Red and SlingTV.
• Connected TV (CTV) users: Users using TV sets connected to the internet through built-in internet connectivity (such as Smart TV) or through other devices with functionality such as set-top box (STB) devices. For e.g., Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon FireStick, Roku.
• Linear OTT video service users: Users subscribing to a service that delivers live TV channel bundles via the internet for a monthly subscription. For e.g., Sling TV, DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV and PlayStation Vue.
  Common sub-categories of OTT/CTV users include:
• Advertising-based video-on-demand (AVOD): Users get to access the content for free and is later monetized through video advertising.
• Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD): Users who have subscribed for a paid subscription (monthly or yearly) access to streaming video content.

Transactional-based video-on-demand (TVOD): Users who have paid to access certain content through a pay-per-view (PPV) purchase model.

Benefits of the OTT Platform

Once subscribed for a subscription, anyone can access quality content anytime and anywhere. Along with this, there are many benefits of OTT Platforms. OTT Platforms & businesses have grown tremendously during pandemic times playing an essential role in the information revolution and development. Additionally, conducting thorough research and seeking recommendations from IT professionals can help you make an informed decision when deciding how to choose softphone for large business to meet your specific needs.

OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, and Hulu have gained huge popularity. With the urge to get more and more on-demand entertainment, people are subscribing to streaming services even more. Below we have mentioned a few reasons that back up for online streaming services:

1. Connectivity:

• OTT broadcasting platforms are really easy to access and use. It just requires a stable internet connection and a compatible viewing device like a smart TV or a smartphone etc. The network carrier provides internet connectivity against a monthly payment and the viewer has the flexibility to choose an internet package or plan based on his requirements.

2. Cost Friendly:   

• OTT platforms are very cost-friendly when compared to the Traditional TV connection. You get to access all the content you get on TV cable on OTT platforms for a relatively low price. However, the only cost involved is the internet data package which depends on your OTT usage and the subscription fees, if any.

3. Convenience   

• With OTT platforms, you get to access your favourite content anytime, anywhere and as often as you want. With the availability of the internet these days, accessing content on OTT platforms becomes easy on all devices. Whereas, in the case of traditional cable networks you get bound by physical and geographical requirements for cable. This freedom of location makes it very convenient for viewers to stream their favourite content. They just need to log in to their streaming account from anywhere and start streaming.

4. Variety content:

• With traditional cable networks, viewers face limitations in channel selection, type, quality and variety of content. They are restrictive in the content that they show. For eg., serials, news, live games, movies, kids content etc… Whereas, OTT platforms open up a wide variety of content including both free & paid content. Users can subscribe to become prime members, but even without subscribing, they can access varied almost unlimited content.

5. Device Independent:       

• OTT platforms allow you to access media services anytime and anywhere. And this stands as the biggest advantage of OTT platforms. Thanks to the VoD services, you get to enjoy your favourite shows anytime, anywhere. Also, it is now compatible with digital devices like Smart Android TV and other devices so, you can enjoy streaming on that too. You can access it on any device irrespective of the network carrier.

Delivery of OTT Content

The accessibility of OTT content is what it makes so popular and widely accessible. For OTT streaming all you need is an internet connection and a compatible hardware device.

• Mobile OTT Devices: You can use your Smartphones and tablets to download OTT apps to stream on the go.
• Personal Computers: Users can also access OTT content from desktop-based apps or web browsers provided they’re internet-connected.
• Smart TVs: These are the latest addition to stream OTT. The most common examples include Apple TV’s, smart TVs, PlayStation, Chromecast, Xbox, FireStick, etc. While the majority of the users prefer to stream OTT content on mobile and desktop devices, they aren’t considered true OTT devices.

Features to Look For in An OTT Platform

With the burst of high-speed internet and access to cheaper mobile devices, OTT has gained huge popularity and wide access. According to a Statista report, the global OTT revenue is likely to hit $150 billion by 2024. That’s a massive opportunity.

However, when it comes to choosing a reliable OTT platform, the task gets tough. With the countless OTT platforms to choose from it’s really a tough task to select one. Below are a few basic features that you must look for while choosing an OTT platform for reliable video streaming.

• HTML5 Video – A reliable and well-coded HTML5 player is required for high-quality and buffer-free video streaming. A reliable HTML5 player should also include adaptive bitrate streaming to stream your videos smoothly on all devices with any internet bandwidth.
• High Customization – If you need it for your business needs, make sure that your OTT platform offers suitable customizations for its video player and libraries. For eg., you might want to have the colors of your own choice and embed your own logo.
• Live Streaming Tools – Well if you’re looking to teach something online and give life lessons, then you might need this feature. Or else, video hosting platforms with other features available should suffice your needs.
• Custom SDKs and APIs – You can create a well-customized video streaming platform with the help of SDKs and APIs. It also helps you in delivering consistent playback of video across multiple applications.
• In-depth Reporting – After all that you’ve done to engage your users, you need a powerful analytics tool with some in-depth stats for the performance of your videos and customer engagement in real time.

Good Customer Support – After all the hard work you’ve put in, you certainly need good customer support at the end of the day. Good customer support is a backbone for any business needs.

Facts about the OTT Platform

• By 2024, the global OTT market is expected to surpass $335 billion, driven by the growing demand for on-demand video content and an increasing number of smartphones and internet connections.
• In India, the number of users in the OTT video segment is expected to reach 528.9m by 2027.
• In 2023, the average revenue per user (ARPU) is projected to cross $90.14 in the OTT video segment.
• In 2020, revenue from OTT services in India reached more than $2bn.
• Smartphones dominate the OTT market in viewership.
• The United States is one of the leading OTT markets in the world with nearly 300 OTT providers.
• According to a Statista report, Slovakia had the most extensive Netflix media library in the world as of October 2022.

Key Ingredients to building a successful OTT Platform

1) Delivery of video

How are you going to deliver your video? This is going to be your bread and butter and it will be critical in delivering an unforgettable experience for your consumers. 80% of users leave if a video does not load too quickly, and only 11% actually watch another episode.

You can do it yourself but self-hosting is rarely a good idea.

Most OTT providers focus on creating content and work with Video hosting services and Content Delivery Networks for delivery. Choosing a video hosting service depends on your requirements such as locations, bandwidth, storage, encryption etc.

VdoCipher is one of them. (Some shameless self-promotion never hurt anybody)

2) Access across all devices

How do you ensure that your content is accessible across all devices? Viewers expect a broadcast-quality experience across all devices at any time of the day. To be able to provide a seamless experience, the platform must be able to recognise which device is making a request and stream content accordingly. This would involve keeping a copy of every video in different formats, for different devices and screen sizes.

3) Reporting and analytics

To be able to make informed decisions about your business, it is important that you track metrics such as what your customers are watching, from where, and from which devices. Most video hosting services and CDNs would provide some level of analytics and insights into user behaviour.

Once you start gathering data about how your customers are watching your content, the next step would be to map the user behaviour to the user demographics. This would give you the ability to create user segments with well-defined likes and dislikes. Using this data you would be able to personalise the experience for each and every user by trying to predict what they may like or dislike.

Netflix uses a recommendation engine that has over 2000 taste groups with each video mapped to those groups. Over 80% of content that is consumed on Netflix is discovered by users on its recommendation system. A strong recommendation algorithm is vital to the stickiness of any OTT Platform. Read more about OTT platforms in India.

4) Monetization

How will you make money? This is the question that you must answer at some point in your entrepreneurial journey. There are primarily three ways to monetize your videos Subscriber Video on Demand (SVOD), Transaction Video on Demand (TVOD), and Advertiser Video on Demand (AVOD).

5) Security and anti-piracy

How are you going to protect your content from Pirates? Distributors in the US alone lost $9 billion dollars in revenue in 2016 because of piracy. The number is expected to go up by almost 30% by 2022.

There are many options available, such as Digital Rights Management, encrypted video streaming, dynamic watermarking, password protection and IP/Geo-Lock. Securing your videos from video downloaders available online can the most important task once you start proprietary content.

Find more details about VdoCipher’s DRM infrastructure and our integration of Widevine DRM for Hollywood-grade security, which helps us protect your premium content.

6) User engagement and video interface

How will viewers engage with you and your platform? This is an important aspect of controlling the user experience.

While consuming media, one of the most important rules in interface design is ‘don’t make the customer think’.

Netflix, for example, allows consuming what they want, when they want, wherever they want and they do not impose any form of penalties such as an advertisement, or time restrictions.

This is where Netflix really went one step ahead of traditional cable services, they created original content and allowed users to binge-watch entire seasons and the time of release without any advertisements. All of this, just for a small monthly fee.

7) Customer Support

Building the platform would only be the first step of the journey. Your team needs to be able to ensure that any viewers facing technical difficulties should easily be able to reach you and resolve their problem. That means being available 24/7 to solve any problems that your viewers may have.

Building an OTT platform is no walk in the park, but it doesn’t need to be unnecessarily complicated. Choosing the right partners can reduce your workload and give you the time to focus on what you do best.

IPTV vs. OTT

As we are talking about OTT technology, let’s clear up a common query in the field of online streaming. Many people start wondering when it comes to differentiating between IPTV and OTT. Both are very similar streaming technologies and seem very identical on the table.

The main differentiating factor between IPTV vs OTT streaming is – OTT is on an open network, whereas, IPTV uses closed and private networks.

Over the Top (OTT) – video streaming is done over a publicly accessible Internet connection. Hence, it’s known as Over the Top. OTT content is delivered through an open internet, unmanaged network and follows an open ecosystem. The content is transmitted via the internet instead of satellite or cable. It can be viewed on any mobile data or Wi-Fi. And does not require dedicated broadband-based connectivity for availing this service.

Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) – The content is delivered to the computers attached to the network based on the Internet protocol (IP). In IPTV, content is delivered through a dedicated, managed network. So it follows a closed ecosystem. The content is transmitted via the internet to a dedicated set-up box. It requires a device to be connected to a dedicated broadband-based connection to avail of the service and is considered as a primary requirement.

On-demand streaming is possible with IPTV. However, it’s not nearly as popular as it is with OTT. Large enterprises and organizations use IPTV for hosting their content, whereas streaming services like Netflix and Hulu rely on OTT.

OTT vs. VOD 

OTT stands for over-the-top – It refers to the way that OTT streaming services go over the top of traditional media to deliver the content. The content is delivered outside the “closed” networks, bypassing the traditional method of distribution i.e. via cables or satellite. They allow the audience to stream content to any device with the availability of the internet. Almost all devices that can receive and display internet signals can have access to OTT content. These devices can be your mobile phones, computers, smart TVs, gaming consoles, OTT set-top boxes, and more.

Netflix, Hotstar, Amazon Prime and Hulu are the most popular OTT services available currently. Users can access or stream their content once connected to the internet. YouTube is also a notable example of an OTT platform.

Video-on-demand or VOD –  VOD OTT difference is that users can stream any video content of a platform or collection. It’s not restricted to any broadcasting schedule nor a physical copy of the video. Platforms like Netflix and YouTube also fit in here, thus, raising confusion between VOD and OTT.

Other than streaming content via the internet, VoD can also refer to users’ downloaded files and even recorded DVR content. And viewers can then access it anytime after its original air time. You can use mobiles, video streaming services, and even OTT devices to access VOD.

Video on demand can further be categorised into 3 categories based on their business model:

• Advertising-based video-on-demand (AVOD): Users get to access the content for free and is later monetized through video advertising. e.g., Youtube.
• Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD): Users who have subscribed for a paid subscription (monthly or yearly) access to streaming video content. e.g., Netflix
• Transactional based video-on-demand (TVOD): Users who have paid to access certain content through a pay-per-view (PPV) purchase model. e.g., Amazon Prime

The Future of OTT

OTT is disrupting the industry for good. Viewers are now switching to streaming apps & OTT services. Apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Hulu have gained huge popularity resulting in the loss of viewers for traditional TV. As the OTT market continues to grow, so will the opportunities associated with it. For e.g., brands adopting OTT video to support their sales and marketing goals.

OTT platforms have helped a lot in these difficult pandemic times by being one of the major sources of entertainment. Almost all the streaming services are offering free trials and consumers are making the most of it.

However, the real test for these platforms is customer retention. And this can be achieved not just with quality content but also with great technology like Netflix. To provide users with a seamless experience of content viewing, OTT providers need to assess all the phases of  OTT subscriber’s lifecycle. And the first step towards it is content discovery and delivery. Going further, AI & ML will help personalize the search experience by understanding the customer behaviour and recommending the right content at the right time.

Conclusion

We hope by now you must have had a fair enough understanding of OTT platforms. So in this space, we’ve learnt – What OTT platforms are, how they work, their benefits and their future. And now we can surely conclude that OTT is the future of delivering online media content. Also, it is a convenient replacement for the TV Cable.

There are numerous OTT platforms available today. And, all those platforms have their own unique features and capabilities to offer. And mostly all of them are suitable for streaming VoDs and live events. However, when choosing an OTT platform for yourself, review your requirements carefully and allocate a budget for it. This will help you make a more appropriate decision. Additionally, we’ve given you a few tips and features to choose the best OTT platform and monetizing your video content.

Looking to have your own OTT platform? VdoCipher offers a secure video hosting platform to successfully host and deliver your content. We provide Hollywood grade security with OTT DRM encryption, dynamic watermarking with a fully packaged cloud server hosting and video player solution. Vdocipher is a direct DRM license partner with Google for Widevine DRM and also integrates Apple Fairplay DRM.

Try all of our features with our free 30-days trial. Sign Up to start your free trial today. No credit card required.

Learn more about our secure video streaming service, by either reaching out to us at support@vdocipher.com or sign up for a free trial here.

FAQs

What monetization options are available on OTT platforms?

The most popular OTT revenue models are SVOD, AVOD, TVOD, and a combination of SVOD and AVOD.

How do OTT platforms acquire content?

Mainly there are two ways. One is purchasing broadcasting rights from filmmakers and individual creators to boost subscribers on the platform. Others are producing their own content, otherwise known as Originals.

What are the limitations while using the OTT platform?

As such it is not a limitation but you need a fast internet connection. Also, because of geo-restrictions and licensing agreements, some OTT content will be unavailable in certain regions.

Subodh

Product Marketing Specialist, VdoCipher.

www.vdocipher.com

The post OTT Platforms: 9 Important Things You Should Know in 2023 appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

A few decades ago, plugging into a handheld device for unlimited access to entertainment was unimaginable. Yet, thanks to technological advancements, we have successfully embraced this as reality. Even in the old days, videos were the most enticing form of content when television was the only medium.

Now, with most people having unlimited access to information and entertainment in the form of videos, there is no looking back. Not only are videos a means to spend leisure time, but they’re also a great source of monetization for businesses in the current digital age.

Every good business wants to offer as much value as possible to its audience. Rightfully so, OTT has emerged as the best and the most convenient form of consuming content. With audiences being able to narrow down their genre choices and opt for flexible packages, multiple attributes have further increased the popularity of OTT frameworks.

In this blog apart from listing all these platforms, I’ll also list what content you get in these platforms and the subscription costs as well.

What is an OTT Platform?

An OTT platform or Over The Top platform is a media distribution method in which they deliver content through the internet. Viewers can access the movies, TV series, and other content of their choice on the respective website or application.

There also available on gaming consoles, tablets, and smart TVs in addition to smartphones, laptops, and computers. As long as viewers are paying for their subscription, they have access to plenty of video content categories of their choice.

Types of OTT platforms

Video streaming platforms – These platforms deliver video content over the internet without the need of satellite TV subscriptions or cable connections. Users access a variety of video content such as TV shows, movies, documentaries, and other popular video-on-demand content usually through subscription-based models. Examples include Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix.

Music streaming platforms – OTT music streaming platforms such as Spotify and YouTube Music allow users to stream songs, playlists, podcasts and other music content over the internet. It eliminates the need for digital downloads or traditional cassettes or CDs. Users listen to their favorite music with personalized playlists and recommendations.

Live TV streaming platforms – On live streaming OTT platforms, users watch live events as they happen. Examples include live news broadcasts, live football matches, entertainment events and more.

Gaming OTT platforms – There has been a significant increase in the number of social games and many OTT platforms have started embedding games on their platforms. Apart from entertainment content, users also get gaming fun at the same place. Netflix in 2021 introduced Netflix games for mobile viewers.

Top 26 Popular OTT Platforms In India

Hotstar 

Hotstar is one of the most famous Indian OTT Platforms. It is a combination of free, VIP, and premium membership. It provides you the access to all the channels owned by Star such as HBO, Star World, Star Plus, etc. Its recent partnership with Disny+ has increased its viewership. It has the largest library available with a lot of Indian TV shows, Movies, Web series, and Hotstar originals.

Subscription starts at-₹299/month

Zee5 

Zee5 is a video streaming platform for all the regions of India. This Indian OTT platform has content available in Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu. It is specially designed for all the Indian audience. Zee5 provides you with movies, web series, and Tv shows, etc. It also has an offline downloading feature available in its app.

Subscription starts at- Rs 99 per month

Mx Player

Subscription starts at- Free

Voot

To compete with cable entertainment companies turned streaming services like Hotstar, Viacom 18 has introduced Voot to take the Indian OTT platform market head-on. When it comes to regional TV entertainment, Voot takes home the prize with Colors and all of its regional versions, along with other popular channels like MTV, Comedy Central, and even Nickelodeon for the little ones.

Subscription starts at- Rs 99 per month

Sonyliv 

Unlike the other OTT broadcasting platforms, SonyLIV operates independently as a combination of free and premium video streaming services. From offering unlimited access to movies, TV shows, special short films, kids-friendly content and so much more. It also has a special focus on live cricket streaming which is exclusively licensed to SonyLIV only for certain major series. It provides you with the top shows from the Sony Entertainment Network,. Although the service is free, but, if you want an ad-free Indian OTT platform experience then there is very reasonable amount you can pay and get the premium experience.

Subscription starts at-  Rs. 499. 2/year

Eros Now

Eros Now is a well-known Indian OTT platform in the Bollywood industry. Now it has started its own video streaming services with the same name. It has a large collection of Bollywood movies. It also has a very small collection of international movies but nothing worth mention of.

Subscription starts at-  ₹49/month

BigFlix

BigFlix is a Reliance initiative in the Indian OTT Platform. They wanted to be the Netflix of India but it didn’t turn out that way. Now with some changes, they are back in the industry with some great content. It has a unique feature available in its app. If you want to watch a movie for free you can collect bigflix coins by watching some clips and use it to watch the content you like on their html5 video player.

Subscription starts at-₹50/month

Alt Balaji 

ALTBalaji, a subsidiary of Balaji Telefilms, has one of the biggest variety of original content available. While other Indian ott platforms are focused on streaming famous content, AltBalaji a like a fresh breeze which is providing unconventional and fresh content. Some of its content is critically acclaimed as well. if you want to watch something new in your own language and that too at a very reasonable price, you should definitely subscribe AltBalaji.

Subscription starts at- Rs 43/month

Jio Tv

Jio video streaming services are very different from other broadband+entertainment providers. It doesn’t discriminate its users. It’s freely available for all the jio users. Here you will get a great combination of movies and shows and for this, you don’t have to pay anything extra. It is one of the best free Indian OTT Platforms

.Subscription starts at- Free for all Jio users

ShemarooMe

Shemaroo Entertainment has its own video streaming services, ShemarooMe, the Indian OTT platform. It can be accessed on the web and mobile devices both. With premium Bollywood content, they also have regional content like Gujarati, Marathi, and Punjabi, etc. If you want to enjoy some really classic Bollywood content then this is you stop.

Subscription starts at-129/month

Viu

Viu is a Hong Kong-based OTT platform. It is a mix of free and premium content. You can download or stream all the free content and view it any time without a subscription. It has a combination of Indian content and international content available for its viewers.

Subscription starts at- 129/month

Sun Nxt

Sun Nxt is regional video streaming service. It offers over 50,000 hours of live TV content, movies, originals, kid’s Content, music across 4 South Indian languages- Tamil, Telugu, Kannada & Malayalam.

Subscription starts at- Rs. 419.49/month

Vodafone Play

If you are looking for a one-stop solution with broadband and entertainment services then Vodafone play is what you need. With Vodafone Play You can watch around 400 Live TV channels, Bollywood, Hollywood, regional & international originals, movies, TV shows, web series, etc. It gives access to content from SonyLIV, ZEE5, ALT Balaji, Shemaroo Me, Sun NXT, Eros Now, Hungama & more.

Subscription starts at- Rs. 179(For Vodafone users)

Airtel Xstream

Another in this list Airtel Xstream. If you have airtel postpaid or V-Fiber broadband you can have access to unlimited Bollywood, Hollywood, and regional content. It’s a great combination of broadband connection and video streaming services.

Subscription starts at- Rs. 999 / year(For Airtel users)

Ullu

Ullu is one of the OTT Platforms that provides you a wide variety of Web Series and EXCLUSIVE Ullu Shows. It has a large variety of genres like drama, horror, comedy, etc.

Subscription starts at- Rs. 144/year

Arre

Arre is one of the OTT platforms in India that produces and publishes videos, audio series, web series, documentaries, text and doodles through its online channel. It was founded by former Network 18 and TV 18 executives B and has original content available.

Spull

If you are a fan of Punjabi content then you must try Spull. It has a rent based system for watching content. It’s specially designed for Bollywood lovers and has a great movie library for them. It also has an offline download feature so that you can watch the content on the go.

Subscription starts at- Rs 99/month

The Viral fever

TVFPlay is very different from other OTT platforms. If you want to watch something unconventional and want to have a premium experience then TVFPlay is your destination. TVF shows its original content and the content around the world they think people can be interested in. It’s a video streaming service that is specially designed for the young generation. The best part is this OTT platform is completely free.

Subscription starts at-  Free

Mubi

Mubi video streaming services, founded in 2007, provide you a unique and ever-rotating collection of movies. It is an online movie theatre that has a collection of some very exclusive handpicked movies. This platform can be accessed on the web, android devices, or ios devices.

Subscription starts at-  $10.99/month

Discovery+

If you have an interest in documentaries and animal world then you require the video streaming services of Discovery+. Discovery+ is one of those ott platforms that features TV shows, documentaries, and short videos. This platform also includes shows from popular TV channels such as Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Science, and Discovery Turbo. If you have an interest in documentaries and animal world this is a place for you.

Subscription starts at- Rs. 299 /year

Winter Sun Tv

A product of Wintersun Studios Private Limited, WinterSunTV is an online video streaming OTT platform for short films, web series, documentaries, and music videos. It is not only a video streaming platform but also a film production, post-production, and distribution company.

YuppTV

If you want to watch your regional content even outside India then YuppTV is something you need. It provides content in Marathi, Malayalam, etc. Most of the video streaming services don’t cover the news channels which is the upside of YuppTV. YuppTV includes the collection of many TV channels, regional shows, and original YuppTV contents.

Subscription starts at-$10 /Month

Zenga TV

If you are looking to watch premium foreign content for free, then Zenga TV is something you are looking for. It has around 100 channels from all genres but the fallback is if you are looking for quality content that may not be available.

Subscription starts at- Free

Lyca Tv

LycaTv comes as a set-top box which is very easy to install. Just connect with your internet and its ready to use. It comes with pre-installed apps and Dolby audio. It also provides you with the may regional television networks like Star Vijay.

Subscription starts at- $6.99/month

Adda Times

Addatimes is one of those ott platforms which supports regional languages. It’s a very nice initiative to promote Bengali Cinema worldwide. It has its original content like web series and movies.

Subscription starts at- ₹299/Year

Most Popular OTT Platforms Globally

Top 25 Popular OTT Platforms in USA 

Netflix

Netflix is one of the most popular ott platforms. It has over 182 million subscribers from all over the world. Netflix is not only a distributor of the content but also created some of its very famous originals like BloodlineBojack, Horseman, Daredevil, Fuller House, etc. Netflix is very famous because of its high-quality streaming. It also provides offline downloads inside its app. One thing you’d have to note that how platforms like Netflix has come ahead in terms of securing their content from video piracy.

Subscription starts at- $8.99/month

HBO 

HBO NOW is a WarnerMedia product. They wanted to provide their customer with video streaming services that don’t require any television subscription. HBO NOW provides you with all the original content, movies, or series, HBO has ever made or making. Some of its very famous originals are Game of Thrones and Silicon Valley

Subscription starts at-  $14.99/month

YouTube Tv

YouTube Tv, one of the most popular OTT platforms, is Google product. It can be accessed on smart TVs, streaming boxes, computers, and mobile devices. It not only provides you over 70 television networks but also the original content produced by YouTube Red. YouTube TV’s more popular channels include AMC, Bravo, FX, and the USA.

Subscription starts at-  $11.99/month

Hulu

Hulu is very different from the other OTT platforms like Amazon and Netflix. If you want early access to the content which is going to be on air on the television network, Hulu is something you need. Hulu has over 30 million subscribers. Hulu provides basic services at a very reasonable cost and with the ad-supported model you can watch all the content Hulu provides.

Subscription starts at-  $11.99/month

Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime is one of those OTT platforms which were introduced as a direct competition to Netflix. We all can say it is one of our favorite video streaming services. Amazon has over 150 million subscribers. Amazon has tons of international content available. It provides you with so many amazing amazon original contents like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Homecoming, Forever, etc.

Subscription starts at-  $12.99/month

Disney+

If you are a fan of beautiful animations, superheroes, fairytales, this is the platform you are gonna need. Unlike other OTT platforms, Disney+ provides you the content produced by Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel. It also provides you the content produced by National geographic and 20th Century Fox. Its content is available in resolutions up to 4K Ultra HD in Dolby Vision and HDR10, with Dolby Atmos sound on supported devices. It also provides language support and subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Dutch.

Subscription starts at-  $6.99/month

AppleTv+

Apple TV+  is a Video streaming services provider that is not only for video streaming but also can be used for listening to music, playing games, and using other apps on your Tv. As apple has everything unique, this product is also quite amazing for its users as it provides a one-stop solution for sign up and watch premium TV streaming services inside just one app, without having to switch from app to app on your device.

Subscription starts at-  $4.99/month

Crackle

If you don’t want to pay for video streaming services then Crackle is your thing. It works on an ad-supported model. Crackle has its original web series, movies which you can watch for free but you have to watch the ads while it playing. Owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment Company, Crackle provides you the new content every month. I say its almost impossible to complain about ads when you are getting for free.

Subscription starts at Free but contains ads

Sling

Sling is one of those OTT platforms which has something for everyone. This platform has both video streaming services- free and paid. It has more than 85000 movies and shows and costs you almost half the cost of the cable networks. With Sling, you have access to more than 50 live channels which includes CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News

Subscription starts at-  $30/month

ESPN

ESPN+ is a complement to existing ESPN content and very different from other OTT platforms. If you are a sports enthusiast then this is the place for you. It brings you the live programming from the ESPN television network that you can access on your mobile devices, desktop tablet, Xbox 360, Xbox One.

Subscription starts at-   $4.99/month

Starz

Previously been available in Amazon Prime Channels and Apple TV now has its own video streaming services named Starz. Its parent company Lionsgate is very exclusive about the content and only goes with a new show if they think it’s unique and a good fit. Starz also has offline downloads that help you watch the content anytime, anywhere.

Subscription starts at-  $8.99/month

Fubo

XUMO

Xumo is a free, video streaming service that primarily offers a selection of programming content through digital linear channels designed to emulate the experience of traditional television programming, and supported by revenue generated from video advertisements inserted into the service’s programming streams in designated conventional television-styled commercial breaks.

Subscription starts at-   Free

SHOWTIME

SHOWTIME streaming services are a subscription service that gives you commercial-free, on-demand access to SHOWTIME programming, as well as the live broadcast of the east and west coast, feeds of SHOWTIME.  The SHOWTIME streaming service is only accessible in the United States and its territories and possessions.

Subscription starts at-   $10.99/month

CBS

CBS All Access, American video streaming services owned and operated by CBS Interactive, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS. It offers original content, content newly aired on CBS’s broadcast properties, and content from CBS’s library. CBS was one of the earliest entrants in the streaming wars. The company launched All Access in October 2014 — way before than other ott platforms. The company’s streaming services have more than 11 million domestic subscribers.

Subscription starts at-   $4.99/month

MLB.Tv

MLB.TV is a standalone video streaming service different than other ott platforms, that lets you watch up to 80 out-of-market Major League Baseball games each week. This means you get to keep up with live games that you have no other way of accessing because they aren’t available in your local market or broadcast on national TV. But note that blackout restrictions apply, so you won’t have live access to nationally-broadcast or locally-broadcast games.

Subscription starts at-  $24.99/month

Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is one of the most complete video streaming services. It has over 1,200 contents in its library. Unlike other ott platforms, it supports HD streams for both free and paid accounts, but you will need to opt for the premium tier to get rid of ads. The service does not support offline downloads, which is a major limitation.

Subscription starts at-  $7.99/month

PHILO

Philo is one of the affordable video streaming services that offer a good mix of live and on-demand content. For just $20 per month, you get 58 channels, including AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BET, Cooking Chanel, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, SCI, and the Travel Channel. Philo focuses on entertainment and lifestyle content, so consumers who primarily want to watch news and sports should look elsewhere.

Subscription starts at-  $20/month

Charter 

When it is about entertainment, we all have different choices and preferences. Even family members living in the same house prefer different channels and entertainment material.  Crackle video streaming services provide customized entertainment package by subscribing to any package. You can watch the content on Charter TV Streaming app too with this package. You will like this plan, as it is quite flexible giving you the option to choose what you wan

Subscription starts at-   $4.99/month

Acorn

Acorn TV is different than other ott platforms that offer full episodes of the best British mystery, drama, comedy, and documentary TV shows. It is geo-blocked outside the US and Canada. If you want something different from the regular ott platforms, this is it.

Subscription starts at-  $1/month

Hallmark Movies Now

Hallmark Movies Now video streaming services offer family-friendly movies, documentaries, and short films. It is a subscription-based service that offers unlimited, commercial-free streaming of beloved Hallmark Hall of Fame movies, original movies, series & specials from Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and handpicked Hollywood favorites.

Subscription starts at-  $5.99/month

BritBox

If your priority is to watch BBC and ITV shows, then you should consider BritBox video streaming services, as it is a joint venture between those two companies. Popular shows on the service include Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Classic Doctor Who, Midsomer Murders, and Vera. Drama fans get Jonathan Creek, Prime Suspect, Shetland, and Wallander. BritBox also has comedies such as 8 out of 10 Cats, Rev., and The Office.

Subscription starts at-  $6.99/month

Funimation

Funimation is the best anime streaming service for fans of dubs. Funimation’s web site and mobile apps impressed us from a design standpoint. The service also supports offline downloads and allows you to customize closed captions. Funimation’s base plan supports two simultaneous streams, but higher tiers bump that limit up to five.

Subscription starts at-  $5.99/month

DirecTv Now

Ditching your cable provider is easier than ever thanks to the growing number of video streaming services that focus on live tvs, such as DirecTv Now. This cable-replacement service performs well and offers a ton of channel options, but its packages seem arbitrarily fragmented and are expensive relative to what you get.

Subscription starts at-  $40/month

PopcornFlix

Popcornflix is a free on-demand video platform that offers movies and TV episodes without the hassle of a monthly subscription. In exchange for the free content, Popcornflix inserts advertisements into the viewing experience. You do not have to sign up for an account with Popcornflix in order to enjoy the free content. That means there is no need to share personal information like a home address or a credit card number. However, Popcornflix does offer the ability to create a personalized account on their platform. On the phone app, you may be prompted to sign up for an account, but the option to skip the process is located in the top right corner of your screen.

Subscription starts at-   Free

How To Start Your Own OTT Streaming Services

The best way to capitalize on prospects and opportunities is to start your own OTT streaming services. But the task is easier said than done. So, grab the golden chance to pull more potential customers to your platform and reward yourself with generous ROI. Let’s take a look at how you can start your own OTT streaming services.

1. Choosing your Niche

With plenty of niches in the OTT business, they are almost always in demand. While it’s best to pick an evergreen niche, anything that you can provide value on is a brilliant choice. Some common examples include entertainment, fitness, sports, lifestyle, and e-learning.

But it’s important to keep in mind that before choosing your niche it’s important to conduct research for parameters like key market players, demand, supply, growth factors, and so on. Conducting a detailed competitor analysis will also help you understand the video streaming market and OTT business in depth.

If your business has a USP, that’s another plus point! It is also advisable to check out various subscription plans, pricing, and business models of your competitors. That will give you detailed insights into how you can set your own.

2. Building Content 

Even though it has become such a cliche, but content was, is, and will always remain the king. Every business owner who plans on having OTT streaming services of their own should make content a top priority. It should match user expectations and be relevant to what your niche promises.

If you start creating exclusive content available on your OTT platform, it will increase your user retention. Besides creating highly valuable content, your OTT streaming services should always show personalized content according to user preferences. If you just get relevant suggestions based on their likings and what kind of content they usually prefer to consume, they’re most likely to get hooked to your platform. You can also create regional content for better and localized targetting. The rule of thumb is that your content should always have high quality and should be interactive and engaging.

3. Narrow Down Your Target Audience

Once you are done with your content creation strategy, it’s time to target who can benefit from your videos. The ultimate goal of every business relying on an OTT streaming service is to offer a quality experience to users that serve the purpose they want to fulfill. For example, if it’s a mystery TV show, the target audience is going to be mystery lovers that have watched similar shows. If it’s fitness, sports fanatics, gym freaks, and yoga lovers would be your right target audience.

4. Know The Necessary OTT Streaming Functionalities and Attributes

If you trying to formulate a successful OTT business plan, here are the functionality and features both advance and basic you must consider.

• User Profile

Users should easily be able to create multiple profiles and easily manage segregating content according to their preferences. Virtual dashboards make obtaining key insights and having smooth navigation possible.

• Registration and Sign In

Users should easily be able to create verified accounts using their email, phone number, etc to access the content.

• Search

Very often, users just have something in their mind and they want to search for its availability. That’s where the search bar comes into the picture. It should also have a drop-down menu of multiple genres to further categorize the content.

• User Interface and User Experience

Two of the most crucial aspects of smooth streaming include UX and UI. That’s why all OTT platform owners should focus on delivery in the finest viewing experience to their target audience. Personalization is a cherry on the icing!

• Screen Mirroring

Screen mirroring is an important feature that enables users to access the video content of their choice on different screens and devices. Incorporating this will help expand your business by removing restrictions.

• Watch Lists

If someone isn’t able to watch a particular piece of content instantly, they can add it to the watch list and finish it later with the help of this feature.

• Video player, Creating and Managing Videos

Integrate reporting and analytics feature into the video player for better insights. There should be a clear video library and easy content management for glitch-free access for viewers and easy uploading and organization of content for creators. Robust analytics tools can help keep track of performance and engagement.

5. Creation of The OTT App and Website

Your app or website will handle support tickets and queries along with collecting payments. Having a website automatically increases customer trust to a manifold no matter what business it is. The same thing applies to OTT streaming services as well. Always remember that your website design should be responsive to maintaining a seamless user experience and cross-device uniformity. The same thing goes for an application. However, you might have to do some extra research to discover what kind of devices your audiences are using to access your application.

6. Finding the Right Secure Video Hosting Service

Finding the appropriate and secure video hosting solution is a crucial component of starting your own OTT platform. Professional video hosting enables OTT platforms to measure their success by tracking engagement and views. It also helps businesses with the effective and efficient delivery of video content.

A professional video hosting platform is always better than mainly uploading videos on blogs and websites since they’re specifically designed for streaming and hosting videos. In other words, they offer video editing options and features available exclusively with video hosting platform. Benefits include better search engine optimization, improved engagement, enhanced branding, higher control, and a rocketing ROI.

Some other striking benefits include:

• Variety of customizable options
• Integration with the social media networks of your choice
• Video CMS for a hassle-free organization and management of video content
• AES encryption
• Password protection
• Dynamic watermarking
• DRM

If you want all these features and a lot more under a single umbrella, take the no-strings-attached trial version of VdoCipher. 

6. Choose Your Business Model 

Using the right business model is crucial for streamlining the monetization of your videos. Let us take a look at the different business models for OTT platforms that will help you make an informed decision based on your business needs.

• Subscription Model

As long as users are paying a fixed amount for a set duration in the form of a subscription fee, they can access the offered content. Amazon Prime Videos, Hulu, Netflix, and other OTT giants work on this very business model.

• Transactional Model

The transactional model usually offers free sign-up but charges to allow access to content similar to pay per view. This model helps maximize short-term profits by holding a one-time payment and allowing users to download or own content.

• Advertisement Model

It’s a proven fact that advertisements are one of the most profitable income sources across the globe. Especially if you have a wide audience base, an advertisement business model can work well when your target audiences don’t really prefer to regularly pay for content.

• Hybrid Business Model

The Hybrid doesn’t model is a combination of subscription, advertisement, and transactional models. All-in-all, it caters to the interest of your potential customers and helps businesses increase their ROI.

Features to look for in a OTT platform

Content Library – An OTT platform’s value and viewership is primarily decided by the content library. It is the collection of varied content range, originals, licensed content, curated on the basis of genre, languages and preference. The more diverse the content library, the higher are the chances of viewer retention and coming back for fresh content.

User interface – The user experience directly impacts the viewership and viewing experience. It is pretty frustrating to navigate a poorly designed UI. A well-designed interface makes the platform more engaging and user-friendly. Some features to work on include easy navigation, consistency across devices, easy customizations, and accessibility.

Personalization – A user is highly satisfied with an ott platform where the content is relevant and interesting as per preference. Personalization involves algorithms that recommend content as per user’s viewing history, choices and other factors. The more personalized content is, higher are the chances of user retention.

Downloads for offline viewing – Offline downloads allow downloading content to watch later without an internet connection. It’s a useful feature for those having limited access to the internet or while traveling such as flight and long commutes.

Parental controls – Many OTT platforms offer mature content and parents want to restrict access to certain content for their children. Parental controls restricts children from viewing certain content and allows parents or guardians to monitor their children’s viewing habits.

Audio quality – A good audio quality makes the content immersive and improves the viewing experience. Even good quality video content with poor audio makes it distracting and forces the viewers to watch some other content. Also those having hearing impairments require high-quality audio support.

Social media integrations – Easy social media integrations help promote the platform as users turn to social media to engage, share their experience and discover new content. Social media integrations have several advantages such as increased engagement, increased chances of getting user-generated content, better discoverability, brand presence and enhanced reach and marketing.

Conclusion

The rise of OTT platforms is relatively new and by now it’s clear that the trend is not going to go away anytime soon. In fact, it might be one of those evergreen trends that last till the end of times. Due to their evolutionary nature, its important to keep updated with the necessary prerequisites of OTT platforms.

It’s no secret that businesses today don’t have a hard time branding if they know the do’s and don’ts. OTT platforms have emerged as one of the best ways to spread a message across whether it’s information, entertainment, or literally anything else. If you still haven’t tested the waters of this powerful way to increase brand recognition, gain new customers, and retain the loyal ones, what are you waiting for? Tick all the items on the checklist based on the above info and get started!

I hope you enjoyed this list of top OTT platforms in India and US. Let me know what’s your take on this list and what platforms do you use the most in the comment section down below. Feel free to share this list with your friends as well.

FAQs

What are the benefits of using an OTT platform?

Access to a wider range of content: OTT platforms offer a wider range of content than traditional television providers. This includes a greater selection of movies, TV shows, and other video content.

Flexibility: OTT platforms do not require a long-term commitment like traditional television providers. This means that you can cancel your subscription at any time without penalty.

Lower cost: OTT platforms typically cost less than traditional television providers. This is because there are no installation or equipment fees.

What are some of the most popular 18+ OTT platform in India?

Some of the most popular OTT platforms in India include Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar and Netflix.

How is the Market growth of OTT platforms in India?

In India, the OTT service economy market growth is expected at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.6% during the forecast period of 2020–2025. This growth is driven by factors like increased penetration of broadband and mobile Internet, the growing need for smartphones, and the availability of affordable data plans.

Smita Singh

Digital Marketing | Writing

I read therefore I write.

The post 51+ Top OTT Platforms in India & USA (UPDATED 2024) appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

¿Qué es TVOD (vídeo transaccional bajo demanda) ?

En TVOD, el usuario realiza un pago por una elección particular de vídeo o una pequeña combinación de vídeos. Esto puede ser en forma de pagos por una combinación de películas o series. A veces, pagar por una película para verla una sola vez se conoce como «pago por visión». Un ejemplo famoso de una plataforma de VOD con TVOD como modelo principal son los vídeos pagados de YouTube. Hay un costo por cada película. Después de analizar las definiciones, los pros y los contras, presentamos algunas estadísticas y estimaciones clave sobre el SVOD y el TVOD implementados en Netflix, YouTube, Hotstar y algunos de los clientes de VdoCipher. (Infografía a continuación)

La mayoría de los clientes están familiarizados con el TVOD como pago por visión cuando compran acceso a un contenido. Los ejemplos incluyen películas, programas de televisión y eventos deportivos. Las transacciones TVOD pueden ocurrir con un alquiler a corto plazo o una licencia a largo plazo. Sin embargo, en la mayoría de los casos, el consumidor no es el propietario del contenido que compra. Simplemente no caduca a menos que el consumidor viole los términos y condiciones del servicio.

Vudu, Google Play, iTunes y Redbox son ejemplos de proveedores de servicios de TVOD.

¿Qué es SVOD (vídeo bajo demanda por suscripción) ?

Destacados sitios famosos de VOD como Netflix, Hulu, Hotstar, Amazon Prime , Byjus tienen miles de horas de contenido.  Ofrecen contenidos ilimitados a un precio asequible por mes o año. Esta idea de proporcionar una oferta de contenido de vídeo agrupado en un precio único para todos es lo que conocemos como SVOD. La suposición básica para SVOD es que el usuario solo verá una cierta cantidad de contenido (por ejemplo, de 20 a 100 horas por mes).  Si el usuario puede ver de alguna manera todo el contenido que se le ofrece, los costos de ancho de banda para la empresa generarán pérdidas generales.

Ahora enumeremos todas las ventajas y defectos de los dos modelos para que el lector pueda hacer una elección informada. También observamos algunas cifras que utilizan empresas famosas y medianas que operan en estos dos modelos. Esto le ayudará a comprender e implementar mejor las economías para su negocio. Primero, veamos una infografía completa de las estadísticas sobre el SVOD de Netflix.

El SVOD emplea un modelo de monetización basado en suscripción en el que el cliente paga un costo fijo mensual o anual. El SVOD a menudo vincula al usuario a un contrato a corto plazo, como los paquetes de cable estándar, y se le permite cancelar cuando lo dese.

Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV+ y HBO Max son algunos ejemplos de proveedores de servicios SVOD.

¿Qué es AVOD?

El vídeo bajo demanda permite a los usuarios seleccionar y ver vídeos según su elección en cualquier pantalla. En un lenguaje sencillo, AVOD o la publicidad de vídeo bajo demanda es la monetización de los servicios de vídeo donde los usuarios pueden ver contenido entremezclados con anuncios sin comprar suscripciones. El concepto principal de este modelo es que los usuarios deben ver anuncios para ver el contenido. Aunque hay muchas más, Hulu y YouTube son las plataformas AVOD más conocidas.

AVOD es frecuente en apps de canales de televisión y plataformas de vídeo generadas por el usuario. Este tipo de servicio proporciona a los espectadores contenido gratuito interrumpido por anuncios. Con el modelo AVOD, la empresa depende del flujo de ingresos para mantener la plataforma y financiar nuevos contenidos.

YouTube, Facebook Watch, Peacock, IMDb TV y Pluto TV son algunos ejemplos de proveedores AVOD.

¿En qué se diferencian SVOD, TVOD y AVOD de otros modelos (SVOD vs. TVOD vs. AVOD)?

Las mejoras tecnológicas hacen que los sistemas de distribución de contenido cambien, por lo que las empresas pueden utilizar diversas tácticas de monetización. Antes de lanzar un producto, es crítico explorar todas las opciones. Esto se debe a que algunos proveedores de VOD existentes tienen una base de usuarios más extensa y comprometida que otros.

SVOD vs. TVOD vs. AVOD

Las mejoras tecnológicas hacen que los sistemas de distribución de contenido cambien, por lo que las empresas pueden utilizar diversas tácticas de monetización. Antes de lanzar un producto, es crítico explorar todas las opciones. Esto se debe a que algunos proveedores de VOD existentes tienen una base de usuarios más extensa y comprometida que otros.

Antes de comparar SVOD, AVOD y TVOD, definamos cada acrónimo por separado.

A medida que se alteran los métodos convencionales para ver e interactuar con el contenido, las empresas de medios deben ser innovadoras en sus estrategias de monetización de plataformas. ¿Cómo decidirse entre SVOD, AVOD o TVOD? En general, se basa en la plataforma y la colección de contenido accesible para los clientes. Aquí hay algunos ejemplos de cuándo emplear cada tipo de enfoque de monetización de servicios VOD.

SVOD es una alternativa atractiva para las empresas de medios, ya que proporciona un flujo de caja constante. A estas empresas les gustan los ingresos recurrentes, y el SVOD era un modelo popular para los que espectadores que cancelan sus suscripciones a servicios de televisión por suscripción disponibles por cable. Sin embargo, en comparación con AVOD y TVOD, el modelo SVOD puede tener problemas con la retención de clientes, ya que los proveedores deben atraer continuamente a los usuarios con contenidos nuevos o descuentos de precios; por ejemplo, muchos ofrecerán un cargo anual con descuento para mantener a los clientes suscritos.

Los clientes, que están más inclinados por una economía digital, desconfían cada vez más de las tarifas recurrentes y los esfuerzos de los medios para restringir el acceso a múltiples usuarios o dispositivos. Para tener éxito con una estrategia SVOD, las empresas deben proporcionar una biblioteca de contenido extensa y constantemente actualizada para mantener a los usuarios interesados. El SVOD también puede ser una alternativa viable para las organizaciones que no pueden o no quieren recaudar ingresos publicitarios para mantener su plataforma.

El AVOD asegura un flujo de ingresos para el contenido que puede no generar dinero directo o recurrente del cliente. El modelo de negocio AVOD a menudo es utilizado por empresas que desarrollan o recopilan una vasta biblioteca de contenido. Sin embargo, el contenido gratuito a veces viene con una trampa. Puede ser difícil para las empresas de medios que emplean el modelo AVOD retener suscriptores, ya sea porque la calidad percibida del contenido es peor que la de los proveedores SVOD o TVOD o porque los usuarios no quieren ser interrumpidos por los anuncios. Además, el modelo AVOD puede proporcionar obstáculos técnicos para garantizar que los anuncios se muestren correctamente y sean interactivos y personalizados para el espectador.

En comparación con SVOD y AVOD, TVOD proporciona las expectativas más transparentes para proveedores y consumidores. Cuando usted ofrece un alquiler o una licencia, conoce los costos operativos y los gastos específicos de cada contenido, lo que le permite establecer precios y rentabilidad más precisos. Del mismo modo, los compradores saben con precisión lo que están comprando. Incluso si ofrece contenido gratuito, no hay garantía de que un cliente utilice una plataforma TVOD más de una vez. Los proveedores TVOD a menudo deben igualar o superar los precios de la competencia para fomentar la lealtad del cliente.

Debido a que un cliente TVOD puede ser ocasional, es difícil para la plataforma acumular datos suficientes para proporcionar sugerencias de contenido que los tienten a regresar. Los proveedores TVOD también deben poder identificar de manera rápida y precisa la ubicación del usuario para procesar el pago y publicar contenido en el idioma correcto.

Los modelos SVOD, AVOD y TVOD tienen ventajas y desventajas; por lo tanto, muchas empresas de medios utilizan diversas técnicas. Las empresas más grandes incluso pueden ofrecer variaciones de servicios VOD específicas de productos. Por ejemplo, YouTube ofrece contenido gratuito generado por el usuario (AVOD), así como contenido premium para alquilar o comprar (TVOD), y servicios de entretenimiento particulares basados en suscripción, incluida  laTV en vivo (SVOD). Del mismo modo, Hulu adopta un enfoque híbrido en su plataforma, ofreciendo cuatro niveles de precios que incluyen una combinación de SVOD y AVOD, así como la opción de combinar con Disney+ y ESPN+. Apple TV+ y Disney+ utilizan métodos mixtos. Amazon Prime Video permite a los usuarios agregar pruebas gratuitas de otros servicios de transmisión, como AMC+, para atraer consumidores.

¿Por qué elegir AVOD?

Aumenta la participación de la audiencia:

Utilice anuncios para atraer la atención de los espectadores y despertar su interés en el contenido. Esto también anima a los consumidores a ver las vistas previas o los pequeños fragmentos antes de comprar contenido premium.

Mejora el alcance de la audiencia:

Los servicios AVOD son versátiles en términos de geografía. Por lo tanto, los especialistas en marketing pueden elegir sus audiencias previstas. Con AVOD, el público objetivo puede ver su anuncio y navegar por su sitio web o comprar mientras espera el contenido basado en suscripción.

Usuarios verificados:

La tecnología de transmisión de vídeo con publicidad (AVOD) proporciona a los especialistas en marketing un enfoque más específico. Ellos pueden medir el retorno de sus campañas utilizando los datos adquiridos de anuncios de los usuarios verificados y entienden mejor dónde colocar sus anuncios para llegar a un número específico de personas.

Monetizar con AVOD

Google busca anunciantes o negocia directamente con empresas que buscan invertir dinero en publicidad. En la mayoría de los casos, el modelo AVOD se combina con el contenido de transmisión pagado o gratuito para producir ganancias adicionales que mejoran su empresa en comparación con la competencia. Por ejemplo, el PPC, o pago por clic, es un método excelente para monetizar un blog.

Excepto para contenido nuevo, películas de renombre y contenido popular de celebridades, el modelo AVOD con publicidad es una excelente alternativa como fuente de ingresos.

AVOD es adecuado para productores u operadores de contenido con una amplia selección de contenido atractivo para los jóvenes, como contenido de televisión, de tendencia y de influencers, como vlogs de celebridades.

AVOD es ventajoso para los agregadores de contenido que obtienen un gran volumen de contenido de varias fuentes y emisoras con contenido nuevo y archivado.

AVOD es excelente para redes de televisión en abierto que pueden generar ingresos óptimos. Algunos tipos de contenido son más adecuados para AVOD, como el contenido extendido y las películas clásicas, ya que hay tiempo suficiente para mostrar anuncios como parte del paquete para que el precio sea razonable.

¿Por qué elegir TVOD?

Una de sus principales ventajas es que TVOD atiende a clientes que simplemente desean pagar por el contenido que ven.

Esto implica que con TVOD, usted puede:

• Proporcionar rápidamente más valor, ya que cada pieza de contenido tendría su precio, lo que permitiría a los consumidores obtener exactamente lo que están pagando;
• Proporcionar contenido más barato para establecer precios más bajos, en lugar de cobrar un costo de membresía más alto y perder clientes potenciales.
• Tener más flexibilidad de precios y hacer que el contenido sea accesible por un período corto o permitir que los clientes lo retengan permanentemente.

Además, realizar eventos de pago único, como conciertos o competencias de videojuegos, es una excelente opción para este tipo de servicio.

VENTAJAS

1. Estimación precisa de los costos operativos de TVOD y riesgos menores:
   Como las estimaciones de los márgenes operativos se realizan con bastante precisión antes del inicio del negocio, usted nunca corre el riesgo de que un solo usuario o grupo de usuarios explote el ancho de banda. Los costos operativos en el negocio de TVOD son los costos de servidor + CDN para transmitir el vídeo de un tamaño particular + el costo para adquirir el cliente único.
2. Modelo de distribución de ingresos sencillo para los creadores de contenido de vídeo:
   A diferencia del SVOD, no hay confusión en lo que el usuario pagó. Por lo tanto, la distribución de la participación en los ingresos para el contenido TVOD suele ser sencilla.
3. Mejores oportunidades de ingresos para el contenido VOD de lanzamiento reciente
   En general, la audiencia tiene afinidad por el contenido de películas y series recién estrenado. Por lo tanto, cobrar una pequeña cantidad por dicho contenido conduce a un pago inmediato por parte de los usuarios y puede alcanzar una escala considerable.
4. El modelo TVOD puede funcionar a menor escala que el modelo SVOD, lo que es una buena opción para lanzar negocios
   Dado que los márgenes operativos son fijos y los ingresos se pueden vincular directamente al propietario del contenido , es una buena opción para comenzar. El modelo SVOD generalmente se activa a una escala considerable.

DESVENTAJAS

1. La retención de usuarios es un problema en el modelo TVOD
   Dado que un usuario tiene la tendencia a pagar por un contenido en particular y luego salir de la plataforma, por lo que no hay ninguna motivación o impulso para que compre contenido nuevo. EL modelo SVOD puede simplemente empujar al usuario a probar un nuevo contenido sin experiencia.
2. La visibilidad del contenido controla los ingresos por contenido: El desafío de la recomendación
   Dado que el usuario pagará por el contenido exacto, lo que se le presente en la página de inicio o como prioridad atraerá su atención. Hay más posibilidades de que pague por ello. Asimismo, es posible que haya un mejor contenido para el usuario en otras páginas, pero ya no le quede presupuesto para comprarlo. Por lo tanto, las recomendaciones personales son una estrategia clave de monetización en las plataformas TVOD.
3. Oportunidades de prueba limitadas, restrictivas para un gran tamaño de contenido. (Por ejemplo, más de 2.000 horas)
   No es bueno esperar que el usuario tenga una idea de todo el contenido que tiene y sepa lo que va a pagar. No puede probarlo todo sin pagar, lo que limita la naturaleza exploratoria de la plataforma.

¿Por qué elegir SVOD?

Numerosos servicios de streaming utilizan actualmente el modelo de monetización SVOD debido a sus múltiples ventajas tanto para el usuario como para sus suscriptores.

Esto se debe a que los servicios de suscripción brindan confianza a los usuarios, particularmente al comparar SVOD y AVOD.

AVOD puede proporcionar ingresos inciertos debido a su dependencia solo de los anuncios. Pero con SVOD, usted sabe exactamente cuánto obtendrá al final del mes y podrá establecer el precio del contenido como mejor le parezca.

Con SVOD, usted puede:

• Tener una fuente de ingresos confiable ya que su audiencia paga una tarifa de membresía mensual.
• Brindar a los clientes una mayor flexibilidad al permitirles decidir cuándo finalizar el servicio.
• Cultivar una base de clientes más exclusiva y dedicada que se sienta como una comunidad; después de todo, están pagando por su contenido.

VENTAJAS

1. La retención de usuarios es alta: La prueba de contenido nuevo es fácil
   Dado que el usuario ha pagado por toda la plataforma en el modelo SVOD, y aunque ya tiene su contenido favorito, también puede descubrir vídeos nuevos. Las campañas de correo, los anuncios y las recomendaciones pueden motivar al usuario a probar contenido nuevo. Sí, esto conducirá a mayores costos, pero también a una mayor retención, más consumo de contenido y, por lo tanto, a un mejor rendimiento de la plataforma en general. Las iteraciones sobre las recomendaciones y el cálculo de costos se realizan para mejorar las estrategias de monetización.
2. El modelo SVOD permite flujos de ingresos recurrentes: Mejor previsibilidad
   SVOD admite modelos de cobro recurrentes. Los usuarios utilizan su tarjeta de crédito para renovar el contrato mensualmente. Esto permite a las plataformas VOD predecir mejor sus próximos ingresos y, por lo tanto, hacer crecer su negocio.
3. Lo mejor para una gran cartera de contenido
   El modelo SVOD funciona mejor si usted tiene una cartera de contenido amplia, proporciona una mejor retención, tiempo por usuario y confianza a los proveedores de contenido de que su contenido llega a una gran audiencia. Más detalles de cómo hacer que funcione aquí.

DESVENTAJAS

1. SVOD solo funciona a escala, incluso en una base de usuarios baja
   El modelo SVOD no vincula inherente o directamente los costos operativos del ancho de banda con los ingresos, sino que generalamente funciona a mayor escala. El costo de la entrega de contenido se reduce a escala.  Los precios altos o la limitación de las horas de contenido pueden hacer que funcione con un número de audiencia menor.
2. Los acuerdos de distribución de ingresos son complicados en el modelo SVOD
   Es difícil determinar qué película o serie llevó al usuario a comprar la suscripción. Aunque las visualizaciones y los datos de participación están en el backend, el modelo general de distribución de ingresos se vuelve complicado. Es una combinación de tarifas de licencia prepagadas para el contenido, participación en los ingresos en función del número de visitas y tasas de retención, etc.
3. Las recomendaciones y la visibilidad para mayor contenido son un desafío
   Dado que las plataformas VOD con el modelo SVOD como canal de ingresos principal tienen 1.000 horas de contenido, qué películas/series presentar o recomendar es un desafío; sin embargo, es una oportunidad para obtener ingresos de los nuevos productores de contenido por anuncios y promociones en la plataforma.

Cómo encontrar el mejor modelo VOD para usar como creador de contenido

El modelo AVOD depende de la publicidad para generar ganancias. Los anunciantes pagan para que sus anuncios o promociones se muestren en un programa o canal específico, mientras que los consumidores pueden ver el contenido de forma gratuita. Estas tres categorías componen el modelo AVOD convencional:

Creadores/Editores de contenido:

Los desarrolladores de contenido producen trabajos de alta calidad que atraen a los espectadores y a los especialistas en marketing a pagar por los anuncios. Cuando el contenido tiene una gran audiencia, los espectadores se convierten en una fuente de ingresos para los publicistas a través de los anuncios. Del mismo modo, los especialistas en marketing se interesan cada vez más en pagar a los publicistas por los anuncios.

Anunciantes:

En el modelo de negocio AVOD, los anunciantes pagan a los publicistas para que promocionen sus productos o servicios para atraer la atención de más espectadores. Los anunciantes confían en los proveedores de contenido para garantizar que lleguen a la audiencia adecuada. Además, los especialistas en marketing pagan por franjas horarias o canales específicos para llegar a su público objetivo y evaluar el retorno de la inversión de su campaña.

Audiencia/Espectadores:

Las audiencias son los principales consumidores en el modelo de negocio AVOD, ya que ellos ven el contenido y los anunciantes pagan por su atención durante los anuncios. La audiencia es el vínculo entre las publicaciones y la publicidad.

Tamaño del mercado AVOD y su crecimiento

Los anunciantes y los proveedores de contenido o publicistas quieren capitalizar la industria AVOD a mayor escala. Se prevé que el mercado se expanda debido a los avances tecnológicos que permitirán que este modelo de negocio evolucione aún más. A continuación, se enumeran las razones por las que el mercado AVOD está creciendo.

• Innovaciones en tecnologías de streaming
• Aumento en el número de usuarios de teléfonos inteligentes
• Aumento de la generación de contenidos digitales.

Se prevé que el modelo de negocio AVOD se expanda aún más debido a su enorme tamaño de mercado y potencial de crecimiento. Durante la próxima década, se proyecta que el mercado AVOD crecerá en un 144 %, llegando a 66 mil millones de dólares en ventas en 138 países.

Desde la introducción de las criptomonedas, ha habido un aumento en la producción de contenido en línea. La tecnología de streaming se volverá más sofisticada, lo que hará que la transmisión sea más rápida y las películas más nítidas para los usuarios. Esto implica que las personas verán vídeos por más tiempo y con más frecuencia. El número de usuarios de teléfonos inteligentes aumentará a medida que más personas puedan permitirse tener uno. Estas razones darán como resultado un mercado AVOD sustancial que beneficiará a todas las partes interesadas.

Para lanzar una plataforma VOD con la máxima seguridad contra la piratería y una experiencia perfecta, inicie una prueba gratuita en VdoCipher.com

Subodh

Product Marketing Specialist, VdoCipher.

www.vdocipher.com

The post SVOD vs. TVOD vs. AVOD: Comparación de los tres modelos de monetización de vídeos en detalle appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

If you’re anything like me, the answer would probably be scrolling through your phone. Checking messages, and emails and going through the Instagram feed and whatnot!

Our devices have almost taken over our days, we consume more content in a day than our ancestors did the whole of their life! This content can be anything from images on Instagram, a blog article on the blockchain, a funny GIF, or even educational videos.

Amongst these videos is one of the widely used forms of content. Be it an ad on youtube, your favorite show on Netflix, or the product management course you’ve been following on Lynda. 

Video for sales works wonders in engaging with your audience, building a relationship, and even teaching or learning something new. They are one of the simplest ways to get your message across. 

In recent times, we’ve seen a proliferation in the choice of video platforms. Almost every niche has several video platforms dedicated to it. But content creators still strive to enter this market and generate some hard-earned revenue.

But the question remains, can selling videos online still be your source of income?

Yes, it can be. Let’s walk through how!

Sell your video online!

Why is Youtube not a good platform for generating revenue through video? 

As an aspiring content creator, you might think that YouTube is the best platform for your needs. But, this might not be the case if you want to generate revenue from your videos. 

The answer to this question lies in the subscription model of youtube. YouTube operates on AVOD, ad-based video-on-demand mode. 

Youtube is not a good platform to sell videos online, especially if you are planning on a subscription-based model? Being one of the most used and common video streaming platforms, youtube provides videos for free. This increases its user base, and creators, therefore, prefer youtube for covering major audiences.  

• AVOD model

Due to the AVOD model, YouTubers or video creators on youtube get less share of video subscriptions. The youtube itself monetizes the ad-placement, thereby restricting YouTubers from choosing high paying ad-clients. This, as a result, lowers YouTubers’ incomes. 

Even after getting various sales through or on their videos on youtube, creators get less share. Recently, even after millions of video views, most of the YouTuber’s pay remains bordered.

• Low advertising pay

Youtube provides low advertising rates. This implies that even after getting ad-placements on videos and hundreds, thousands of views, their pay doesn’t elevate much. However, this is done by finding high-paid sponsors for their videos and promoting several brands.

• Low CPM

Recently, in the COVID era, this was brought to notice by various video creators of youtube. Content creators reported that they were getting low CPM (cost per 1000 impressions). It was due to reduced ad-costing even though the video views jumped.

How can a premium video hosting platform help sell videos?

Just as in the real world, a shop’s physical appearance matters for the sales. Having a compatible video hosting solution can decide video for sales. Video monetization over different platforms can make a huge difference. Such a trend is best if you sell drawings of pictures or provide other creative services. One might get a prospect and convert an audience over one platform and not even get reasonable reach over another. 

A premium video hosting platform can help you with:

• Encrypted video streaming to secure videos from piracy
• Improved privacy controls  offering a better video sharing experience
• Real-time tracking and analysis of the user base of your audience
• Offer pre-determined bandwidth plans
• Reduces the video hosting expenses
• Allows you to publish and broadcast HD videos
• Increased conversion rate with improved audience engagement

Always keep in mind, the only monetization on the right video hosting platform can help you generate some revenue!  

7 Steps To Sell Videos Online 

To start, let’s quickly understand the steps to follow for video selling online-

1. Finding your Niche
2. Choosing the Right Video Platform
3. Build your Content Flow Strategy
4. Create Quality Videos
5. Selecting a Subscription Model
6. Promote your videos: Increasing traffic
7. Audience engagement

Let’s get started:

1. Finding your niche

Finalizing your niche can decide the outcomes. Carefully list down the topics or video categories that interest you and come under your video creativity umbrella. 

Your selected niche can and cannot have an audience on the platform. So, before making a firm decision on video niche, consider the following points-

• The customer base for that niche on various platforms. 
• Audience engagement and behavior
• Fellow video creator’s content style and ideas
• Profit margins on a selected niche

Do intense market research about your niche and track audience engagement for the same niche’s fellow video creators. Study their content posting patterns, understand their videos, and explore. This way, you can serve users a feast of unique and innovative content that people feel worth paying for.  

A comprehensive market understanding can forecast your audience retention rate as well. And if the market behaves as per the expectations, this can even give you an idea of content flow.  

2. Choosing the right video hosting platform

Selling an ice-cream at a fashion store! 

Sounds absurd, isn’t it!

Choosing the right type of business video hosting platform can bring catastrophic turns to your video-creating journey. There are immense options out there, waiting for video creators and offering attractive profit margins. But you need to curb your excitement and act pragmatically.

Always go through the user base of the platform thoroughly to understand and predict your target audience volume. This would save you tons of time and can also increase the probability of your success.

If your video ideas need certain functionality and features, consider them before actually starting delivering content. A test run of the short video might sometimes help to anticipate stats and market behavior. 

Money! Money! 

Selling videos online is for money (we all know this, honestly). Go through the paying members of video platforms. It would give you an idea about how many prospects paying customers your content can get. Also, how much you can earn in real figures. 

Another important thing you need to consider is protection from video piracy. A lot of businesses lose revenue due to this. The best way to safeguard yourself from this is to opt for a secure video hosting service with a multi DRM set up along with other important security features such as screen recording protection, domain whitelisting, etc. 

3. Build your content flow strategy

As soon as you finalize a niche and are ready with rough notes on market behavior, plan a content calendar. 

Yes, don’t follow an impromptu approach. As you plan to get paid for your videos, a keen and efficient content strategy is needed. Plan your content around a selected platform and niche. 

Study audience content-consuming patterns, shortlist your most engaging hours and try to strategize accordingly. Consistently deliver value in your content. 

No doubt that your content can be of any type. It can be one long video. A series of videos can be a web course or a video followed by an e-book purchase. Deliver something your competitor has missed.

Deliver what your target audience would most connect with.Whether you’re showcasing captivating visuals, informative content, or a combination of both, consider the appeal of personalized photo books to enhance engagement. And if necessary, plan discounts, coupons, and special gifts for your audience for increasing retention and participation. Make sure to check out platforms such as Karma to keep up with pricing drops and coupons.

If you want to know more about this topic, you can refer to our article in elearning video production

They have paid for your video content, and they should get real benefits. 

4. Create Quality Videos

No matter how well you investigate your target audience, platform, and niche, the final deciding factor for your video’s success will be your “content.”

Always test and check videos for three factors; uniqueness, quality, and value. 

Take these three factors parallel and equally important. For a beginner, there might be a case that you lag on these factors but learn from observing. Observe other creators, watch content and implement and improvise your content strategy. And if you want to sell your eCommerce product, prioritize design as well, and use Shopify Themes to give your brand a great image. 

One might not feel confident in editing videos. Hence, collaborate with some professional video editors to deliver interesting and engaging videos in the starting for user retention. 

The uniqueness and value also depend on the type of content and niche. For instance, If you provide educational content, adding an animation can attract eyeballs.  Delivering culinary or recipe videos, live streaming, and real videos would also help.  Here is a few eLearning video software to help you create quality videos.

Always remember, observe, learn and implement.

5. Selecting a subscription model

You finalized a niche, selected a video hosting platform, prepared content, and uploaded it. Now what?

How would your customers access your content? Will it be on a pre-payment basis? Or would you like to provide the first few videos for free and then introduce a subscription model?

There are models available on video platforms to handle payment modes:

• SVOD- Subscription video on demand. 

SVOD model works on a subscription basis, and users can watch videos until their subscription is valid and active. However, once the subscription ends, the content becomes unavailable.

This presents a challenge for content creators to keep the audience’s interest continuous before their subscription ends. It would make users renew their plan, and boom, you get a continuous audience for your content.   

This model is ideal for businesses with a dedicated audience who are willing to pay for excellent content.

The market potential for Subscription video on demand model is global in scale. It is a highly competitive landscape where one should be able to adapt with new technologies and content.

SVoD businesses can leverage OTT platforms like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV eliminating the need for a set-top payment box providing more flexibility to the users. It provides a way for consumers to pay for the content they would love to see.

Popular Platforms of the SVOD model are Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.

• TVOD- Transactional video on demand

TVOD mode presents users with a one-time payment for continuous access to the content. This generally also includes DTR, download to rent mode granting access for the specific time for specified fees. 

Subcategories of TVoD are: 

• Electronic Sell-Through (EST) – One time payment for permanent access to a content
• Download to Rent (DTR) – Access to a content for a limited period time with a smaller fee

The TVOD model is perfect for businesses looking to sell specific niche videos. Example: An Educational company selling online courses . 

Popular Platforms of the TVOD model are Google Play, Udemy and iTunes.

• AVOD- Ad-based video on demand

The popular video streaming platform; youtube runs on the AVOD model.  It gives platforms control over video monetization and pays creators based on ad-placement, whereas the content stays free for users. 

This model yields less revenue for creators and is often not preferred by video creators. 

Publishers will be paid based on the 1000 ad impressions. It is necessary to attract a lot of people to this platform to make revenue. This model suits the platforms like YouTube, Vimeo where they generate revenue through advertising.

This model is applicable on mobile devices, websites, apps.There are two types of AVOD model to choose from: Programmatic and direct-sold advertising.

This model can go wrong if too many ads are served to the audience causing the user experience. This model yields less revenue for creators and is often not preferred by video creators.

Popular Platforms of the AVOD model are YouTube and DailyMotion. Read out detailed blog on SVOD vs TVOD vs AVOD

Read more: What’s the difference between SVOD and AVOD.

6. Promote your videos: Increasing traffic

Make your content reach the right audience. 

Marketing your content is important and a deciding feature for your videos’ success. An overnight reach and engagement of 100,000 is a myth. One needs constant promotion, marketing with the content. 

Your marketing strategy can design around the residence of your target market. In that matter, it’s a great idea to start working with a digital agency that can help you successfully promote your videos on social media channels.

One can also promote content with other video creators and social media influencers for creating a starting demand. So, if you are not sure how to do it, you can always reach out to a social media influencer agency to get some aid. If you are looking for an official and more professional audience, use e-mail marketing and plan email content cautiously. Because the user’s spam box should not be your destination. In this process, a good SPF checker can help authenticate your emails and send message in a more secure way.

We are talking about video content marketing. Private video hosting platforms can surely help. One can also collaborate with famous YouTubers with a hefty number of subscribers to get enough word of mouth word.

But there is no thumb rule of marketing here. Use diverse channels to market and promote your content actively.

7. Audience engagement

Establish a real relationship with your audience instead of just interacting on-screen. Word-of-mouth can be your best branding. 

Interact and engage with your customers regularly. Host virtual events, virtual meet-ups with a bunch of users, take feedback. Feel them attended and entertained. Provide customized plans if possible. 

Despite only having a screen and virtual connection with an audience, engage with them. One can also create polls for their channels. This can also be used to create buzz for upcoming content videos.  

A real user always trusts fellow users. Publish testimonials and customer reviews; some negative reviews would also not harm anyone. Just show your real side to the users. 

Be a part of your clan, create a community.

How To Sell Videos Online and Not Lose Any Revenue To Piracy

Media publishers trying to sell videos online have often heard “ Once you have put your videos online, it is free . There can be no DRM on the internet”.  How practical is this argument and are there ways to prevent video download on the web?

The first infographic is an excellent illustration of the means through which paid content reaches the end viewers. It includes both legal methods as well as the path adopted by pirates.

It is shocking to see how premium content is able to reach all over the world for free. The circle of warez , torrent and linkers is the primary culprit for this online piracy.

As we move away from the center, the number of branches distributing the content for free increases exponentially. SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) has been proposed as a solution to the problem . Instead of trying to prevent stealing of premium content from initial release points, SOPA tries to disarm the websites which have the ability to redistribute this release. 

It targets subsequent circles of seeders, uploaders and downloaders which comprise the general internet users. This circle is the nerve of the internet. Trying to restrict it would mean to undo the openness, which the worldwide web has brought into the world.

Another infographic discusses the numbers relating to the online video market and piracy. Let’s reflect upon how much a video DRM can affect this scenario. There are encryption & authentication technologies adopted by the video hosting companies that are evolving over time.

The videos hosted through these technologies can’t be downloaded on the web. Their idea is to make downloading so difficult that users would find the effort of downloading to be much exhausting, and ultimately pay for the video.

Leakages that can be prevented by technologies and not legislation to Sell Videos Online

As seen in the first picture, the loss of video content from the release groups and paying users has to be targeted. Let’s consider the movie and e-learning industries which are looking to sell videos online. 

The paid users are the starting point of piracy. One subscriber pays for the video. He downloads it using one of the freely available downloaders. Then, he shares it among his circles or puts it online. 

This allows everyone to enjoy premium quality content at no costs. Most of the CDNs and online video hosting companies with DRM  try to plug these holes.

How effective can DRM technology be in Selling Videos Online?

Looking at the second picture, one can see that in the USA 70% of the pirates are of age 18-29. The number of copy-right infringement notices given to colleges is a clear indication of how students are able to access and enjoy free content.

Most premium content is available at affordable costs, but it is so easy to get it free that no one even pays the actual amount. This has led to a great loss to online TVs , tutorial teachers and movie sellers.   

The security-based on encrypted video streaming and authentication is an effective solution to this problem. These DRM technologies prevent download from any such downloader on the web. This restricts online and offline sharing of content. 

Another means to prevent video piracy is dynamic watermarking. Watermarking the videos with information of the subscribed user is an effective means to restrict uncontrolled distribution of videos. To know more about video piracy and how to stop it, you can refer to the blog linked.

What are the costs of the solutions in terms of technology, usability, and money to Sell Videos Online?

There are no overhead costs of these technologies in terms of bandwidth or other network resources. The underlying innovation itself is the prized commodity. 

The quality of streaming can be easily maintained at par with any regular streaming. End-users can access the content without installing any software on their desktops. Apps are available to ensure mobile compatibility along with security. 

With more and more companies coming up with innovative DRM systems customized for markets like media and e-learning, there is a hope that premium video content creators would be able to monetize their potential.

Wrapping Up

The best way to sell videos online is to strategize every aspect of video creation to promotion. You need to make sure that there are no bottlenecks that stop you from selling videos online. 

Make sure to study your competitors and learn from both their strengths and weaknesses. Understand your audiences and how they interact with the content. Also, you need to identify your USP, that is what separates you from your competitors and why exactly should someone pay for your content. Generally, content marketing is taking over new heights and well-formed content marketing service for SaaS companies, e-commerce, tech, and others now has high significance.

Another important point to be noted down is the protection from video piracy. You don’t want to put so much effort into video creation and promotion only the video to end up on piracy channels. Investing in secure video hosting would be the right thing to do. Just pick any with a multi DRM system and you should be good. 

That’s all from my end, feel free to give a shoutout to this blog on your favorite social media platform! 

Rahul Rana

Head of Digital Marketing at Vdocipher. I love the art of connecting the right product to their users. When i’m not doing that i love getting lost in books.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Sell Videos Online: All You Need To Know appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

What is TVOD (Transactional Video on Demand) ?

As the name suggests for TVOD, the user makes a payment for a particular choice of video or a small combination of videos. This can be in form of making payments for a movie or Series combination. Sometimes paying for a movie to watch in one go is usually known as “pay-per-view“. A famous example of a VOD platform with TVOD as the major model is Youtube paid videos. There is a cost for each movie. After looking into definitions, pros, and cons of these aspects, we also present some key stats and estimates on SVOD & TVOD implemented with Netflix, Youtube, Hotstar, and some of the VdoCipher customers. (Infographics are below)

Most customers are familiar with TVOD as pay-per-view when they buy access to a piece of content. Examples include movies, television programs, and sports events. TVOD transactions can occur as either a short-term rental or a long-term license. However, in most cases, the consumer does not own the content they purchase. It simply does not expire unless the consumer violates the terms and conditions of the service.

Vudu, Google Play, iTunes, and Redbox are examples of TVOD service suppliers.

What is SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) ?

Prominent famous VOD sites like Netflix, Hulu, Hotstar, Amazon Prime , Byjus etc have Thousands of hours of content.  They provide such unlimited stuff in an affordable price per month or year. This idea of providing an offering of bundled video content in one to all pricing is SVOD. The basic practical assumption for SVOD is that the user will only watch a certain amount of content (say 20 to 100 hours per month).  If the user is able to somehow watch all the content offered to him, the bandwidth costs for the business will lead to overall losses.

Now we enlist all the advantages and flaws in the two models. Thus, the reader can make an informed choice amongst the two. We also then look at some numbers using famous and medium sized companies operating on these two models. It will help you better understand and implement the economies for your business. Before that lets look at a stats full infographic on SVOD with Netflix.

SVOD employs a subscription-based model of monetization in which the customer is paid a fixed monthly or annual cost. SVOD often binds the user to a short-term contract or none like standard cable packages. It allows them the freedom to cancel whenever they like.

Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV+, and HBO Max are a few instances of SVOD service providers.

SVOD for Netflix: Key Stats, User Engagement, Monetization

What is AVOD?

Video on demand allows users to select and watch videos as per their choice on any screen. In simple language, AVOD or advertising video on demand is the monetization of video services where users can watch videos intermixed with commercial advertisements without buying subscriptions. The primary concept of this model is that the users must watch ads to view the content. Although there are many more, Hulu and  YouTube are the most well-known AVOD platforms.

AVOD is prevalent on television channel applications and user-generated video platforms. This sort of VOD service provides viewers with free content interrupted by commercials. Using the AVOD business model, the firm relies on this income stream to maintain the platform and fund new content.

YouTube, Facebook Watch, Peacock, IMDb TV, and Pluto TV are a few examples of AVOD providers.

How is SVOD, TVOD and AVOD are Different from other Models(SVOD vs. AVOD vs. TVOD)

Technological improvements cause content distribution systems to change so businesses may use various content monetization tactics. Before launching a product, it is essential to explore all choices. This is because some existing VOD providers have a more extensive, more committed user base than others.

SVOD vs TVOD vs AVOD

Technological improvements cause content distribution systems to change so businesses may use various monetization tactics. Before launching a product, it is essential to explore all choices. This is because some existing VOD providers have a more extensive, more committed user base than others.

Before comparing SVOD, AVOD, and TVOD, let’s define each word separately.

As conventional methods of seeing and engaging with content alter, media businesses must be innovative in their platform monetization strategies. How do they decide between SVOD vs AVOD vs TVOD? Generally, it relies on the platform and the content collection accessible to clients. Here are some instances of when to employ each sort of VOD service monetization approach.

SVOD is an appealing alternative for media firms since it provides a consistent cash stream. Media firms like recurring income, and SVOD was a popular model for cord-cutters in the early days. However, compared to AVOD vs TVOD vs SVOD models might suffer client retention since providers must continually attract users with content or price discounts to renew – for instance, many will offer a lower yearly charge to keep customers subscribing. 

Customers, who are more inclined than ever to exercise choice in a digital economy, are suspicious of recurring fees and efforts by media corporations to restrict access to multiple users or devices. To be successful with an SVOD strategy, media businesses must provide an extensive and constantly updated library of content to keep users engaged. SVOD may also be a viable alternative for organizations that cannot or do not want to collect ad income to maintain their platform regularly.

AVOD ensures a revenue stream for content that may not generate direct or recurrent client money. The AVOD business model is often used by companies that develop or gather a vast content library. However, free content sometimes comes with a catch. It may be difficult for media firms who employ the AVOD model to retain subscribers, either because the perceived quality of the content is poorer than that of SVOD or TVOD providers or because users get annoyed with the ad interruptions. Additionally, AVOD may provide significant technical obstacles to ensuring that advertisements are shown correctly and are interactive and personalized for the viewer.

Compared to SVOD vs AVOD, TVOD provides the most transparent expectations for providers and consumers. When you offer a rental or license, you know the specific operating costs and overhead for each piece of content, allowing for more precise pricing and profitability. Similarly, buyers know precisely what they are purchasing. Even if you give free content, there is no assurance that a client will utilize a TVOD platform more than once. TVOD providers must often match or beat competitors’ pricing to encourage client loyalty. 

Because a TVOD client may be occasional, it is difficult for the platform to accumulate sufficient data to provide content suggestions that would tempt them to return. TVOD providers must also be able to promptly and precisely identify the user’s location to process payment and serve content in the correct language.

SVOD, AVOD, and TVOD have advantages and disadvantages; hence, many media businesses use various techniques. Larger companies may even offer product-specific VOD service variations. For instance, YouTube offers free user-generated content (AVOD), as well as premium content for rent or buy (TVOD), and particular subscription-based entertainment services, including live TV (SVOD) (SVOD). Similarly, Hulu takes a hybrid approach with their platform, offering four price levels that include a mix of SVOD and AVOD, as well as the option to bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+. Apple and Disney+ both use mixed methods for VOD monetization. Amazon Prime Video allows users to add free trials of other streaming services, such as AMC+, as an additional means of attracting consumers.

Why Choose AVOD?

Increase Audience Engagement: 

Use advertisements to attract viewers’ attention and pique their interest in the content. It also encourages consumers to examine previews or short snippets before purchasing premium content.

Enhance Audience Reach:

AVOD services are versatile in terms of geography. Thus marketers may choose their intended audiences. Using AVOD, the targeted audience may see your advertisement and browse your website or shop while waiting for their subscription-based content.

Verified Users:

The ad-supported video streaming technology AVOD provides marketers with a more targeted approach. They may measure the ROI of their campaigns using data acquired from adverts on videos from verified users. In addition, marketers better understand where to put their advertisements to reach the most significant number of people.

Monetize With AVOD

Google will seek out advertisers or negotiate directly with businesses seeking to spend money on advertising. In most cases, AVOD is coupled with paid or free broadcast content to produce additional cash that enhances your company compared to competitors. For instance, PPC, or being paid per click, is an excellent method for monetizing a blog.

Except for fresh content, renowned blockbuster movies, and popular content featuring a celebrity, advertising-supported AVOD is an excellent alternative as a revenue source for anything else.

The AVOD business model is well suited for content producers or operators with a wide selection of youth-appealing content, such as TV content, catch-up content, and influencer content such as celebrity vlogs.

AVOD is advantageous for content aggregators that get a large volume of content from several sources and broadcasters with fresh and archived content.

AVOD is excellent for free-to-air television networks that can generate optimal income. Some types of content are more suited for AVOD, such as extended content and classic movies, since there is sufficient time to display advertisements as part of the package to make the price reasonable.

Why Choose TVOD?

One of its primary advantages is that TVOD caters to customers who simply wish to pay for the content they see.

This implies that with TVOD, you can: 

• Quickly provide more excellent value since each piece of content would have its pricing, enabling consumers to get precisely what they’re paying for;
• Provide cheaper content to set lower pricing, rather than charging a higher membership cost and losing prospective clients.
• Have more price flexibility and make content accessible for a short period or allow clients to retain it permanently.

Additionally, conducting one-time paid events, such as concerts or gaming matches, is an excellent option.

PROS

1. Accurate estimation of operational TVOD costs and lower risks:

   As the estimates for operational margins is being done quite accurately before the start of business; you never run into the risk of a single user or group of user exploiting the bandwidth. Operational costs in TVOD business are the costs of server + CDN to stream the video of a particular size + cost to acquire the single customer.

2. Easy revenue distribution model to video content creators:

   Unlike SVOD there is no confusion in what the user paid for. Thus the revenue share distribution for TVOD content is usually straightforward.

3. Better revenue opportunities for fresh release VOD content

   Generally the audience worldwide has an affinity for newly released movie and serial content. Thus charging a small amount for such piece of content leads to immediate payment from users and can reach a considerable scale.

4. TVOD can work on smaller scale then SVOD, Good option to launch business

   Since operational margins are fixed and revenue can be linked directly to content owner , it is a good option to start. SVOD generally kicks at a considerable scale.

CONS

1.   User retention is a problem in TVOD

   Since user has the tendency to pay for a particular content and then go off the platform, there is no motivation or push for him to buy new content. SVOD can just push to user to try some new unexperienced content.

2.  Content visibility controls content revenues: Challenge of recommendation

   Since the user is going to pay for the exact content and watch, whatever is presented to him in homepage or as a priority attracts his attention. There are greater chances that he will pay for it. There might be better compatible content for him in the inside pages, which by the time he discovers has no budget left to spend on it. Thus personal recommendations and presentation are a key aspect of the monetization in TVOD platform.

3. Limited Trial Opportunities, Restrictive for large content size. (E.g 2000+ hours)

   It is bad to expect the user to have an idea of all the content you have and be already decisive about the video to make payment for. He cant try without paying which limits the explorative nature of the platform.

   We will go to SVOD’s pros and cons after this infographic.

   
   TVOD for Youtube Movies, SVOD for Hotstar

Why Choose SVOD?

Numerous streaming services currently use the SVOD monetization model due to its multiple advantages for both the benefits and its subscribers.

This is because subscription services provide users with dependability, particularly when comparing SVOD to AVOD.

AVOD might provide uncertain income due to its reliance on advertisements alone. With SVOD, you know exactly how much you will get at the end of the month, and you may set the pricing of your content as you see fit.

Using SVOD, you can:

• Have a dependable source of revenue since your audience pays a monthly membership fee.
• Give clients greater flexibility by allowing them to decide when to terminate service.
• Cultivate a more exclusive and devoted client base that feels like a community; after all, they are paying for your content.

PROS

1. User Retention is high: New content trial is easy

   Since the user has paid for the whole platform in SVOD, though he has some favorite content there is also a lot of additional content he can try. Mail campaigns, ads, and homepage prompts can motivate the user to try additional content. Yes, it will lead to higher costs, but it also leads to higher retention, more content ingestion and thus better performance of the overall platform. Iterations over recommendations and costing are done for better monetization strategies.

2. SVOD allows recurring revenue streams: Better Predictability

   SVOD supports recurring charging models. Users can put in their credit card which renews the contract on monthly basis. This allows for the VOD platforms to better predict their upcoming revenues and thus grow their business.

3.  Best for large content portfolio

   SVOD works best if you have a large content portfolio, provides better retention, time per user, and trust to content providers that their content reaches the maximum audience. More details on SVOD is here.

   CONS

4. SVOD Only works at scale, Risky at a low user base

   Since SVOD does not inherently directly link operational costs of bandwidth to revenues, it works generally at a larger scale. The cost of delivery reduces at scale.  High pricing or Limitation on content hours can make it work at a lower audience number.

5.  Revenue distribution agreements are tricky in SVOD

   It is difficult to determine which movie or series actually prompted the user to buy the subscription. Though video views and engagement data are at the backend, the overall revenue distribution model becomes tricky. It is a combination of pre-paid license fees for content, revenue share on basis of the number of views, and retention rates, etc.

6.  Recommendations and Visibility for large content is a challenge

   Since VOD platforms with SVOD as a major revenue channel have 1000s of hours of content, which movies/serials to present at the front, to recommend is a challenge. Though at the same time, it is an opportunity to charge money from new content producers for advertisements and promotions on the platform.

Now we present some key stats and estimates on SVOD & TVOD  implemented with some of VdoCipher customers.

How To Find the Best VOD Model To Use as a Content Creator

AVOD business models rely on advertisements to generate money. Advertisers pay to have their ads or promos shown on a specific program or channel, while consumers may watch content for free. These three categories compose the conventional AVOD Business Model:

Content Creators/ Publishers:

Content developers produce high-quality works that entice viewers and marketers to pay for advertisements. When the content gets a large audience, the viewers become a source of money for the publishers via ad revenue. Similarly, marketers have grown increasingly interested in paying publishers for advertisements.

Advertisers:

In the AVOD business model, advertisers pay publishers to promote their goods or services in content to attract more viewers’ attention. Advertisers rely on content providers to ensure that they reach the appropriate audience. In addition, marketers pay for specific time slots or channels to reach their target audience and assess the return on investment of their campaign (ROI).

Audience/ Viewers:

Audiences are the primary consumers in the AVOD business model since they come to see content, and advertisers pay for their attention when they view advertisements. The audience is the link between publications and advertising.

AVOD Market Size and Its Growth

Advertisers and content providers or publishers want to capitalize on the vast scale of the AVOD industry. The market is anticipated to expand due to the technological advances that will let this business model evolve further. Listed below are the reasons why the AVOD market is increasing.

• Innovations in streaming technologies

• Boost the number of smartphone users

• Increase in the generation of internet content.

The business model for AVOD is anticipated to expand even further because of its enormous market size and exponential growth potential. Over the next decade, the AVOD market is projected to grow by 144 percent, hitting $66 billion in sales across 138 countries.

Since the introduction of cryptocurrencies, there has been a surge in online content production. Streaming technology will get more sophisticated, making streaming quicker and films crisper for users. This implies kids will watch videos for longer and more often. The number of smartphone users will rise as more individuals can now afford to own one. These reasons will result in a substantial AVOD market that will benefit all stakeholders.

When selecting the right video monetization platform, content creators need to take an informed decision and select the monetization model that best suits their needs.

To launch a VOD platform with the highest security from piracy + seamless experience, Start a free trial at VdoCipher.com.

This short video here explains how to upload, embed, and securely stream videos through VdoCipher.

Popular FAQs Around VODs

What are the main differences between TVOD and SVOD models?

TVOD, or Transactional Video On Demand, operates on a pay-per-view basis, where users pay for each video or series they want to watch. This model is ideal for newly released movies or exclusive content. SVOD, or Subscription Video On Demand, on the other hand, offers unlimited access to a library of content for a recurring subscription fee, making it suitable for users who prefer a wide range of content at a fixed price.

Which VOD model is more profitable, TVOD or SVOD?

Profitability can vary based on several factors including content type, target audience, and platform reach. TVOD can generate high immediate revenue from new or exclusive content, while SVOD provides a steady income stream and can be more profitable over time with a loyal subscriber base. The choice depends on the content provider’s strategy and resources.

How do content creators decide which VOD model to use?

Content creators consider the nature of their content, target audience, and market trends. For exclusive or premium content, such as new movie releases or special events, TVOD might be more appropriate. For a broader library aiming to attract a steady subscriber base, SVOD could be a better fit. Creators may also look at hybrid models or change strategies based on performance and user feedback.

Can a platform offer both TVOD and SVOD models?

Yes, a platform can offer a hybrid model that combines TVOD and SVOD, allowing users to choose between paying for specific content or subscribing for access to a broader library. Example, Amazon Prime. This approach can cater to a wider range of user preferences and maximize revenue by attracting both types of viewers.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post SVOD vs TVOD vs AVOD: Comparing the Three Video Monetization Model In Detail appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Brief History of Netflix Business

The history of Netflix dates back to 1997 when Reed Hastings of USA first incorporated the idea and later on in 1999, he officially started the movie rental business. Initially, it was a subscription-based DVD mailing service, where a customer would pay a certain amount for renting and videos on DVDs for a stipulated subscription period. In 2010, Netflix began its streaming services in Canada and within one year, these services were initiated in 43 countries worldwide. The mail services were prevalent in North America as it did originally. In 2011, Netflix announced that the DVD mail services and the video streaming services will have separate packages. This created a negative response among the current customers and Netflix’s stock prices fell.  With time, the Netflix business model transformed into an on-demand internet streaming media available to the viewers in North America, South America, parts of Asia, Europe and Ocenia. In 2012, they had over 120000 titles for online streaming and over 23 million subscribers.

Initiation of Business Expansion

They are ever expanding with time and currently, with over 83 million subscribers in 190 countries, 125 million hours of movies and TV shows, it has more media for one lifetime. Today Netflix with its hosted and original content offers movies and media in 270 languages in over 190 countries and is the biggest online Internet Television service provider. Its revenue in 2013 was over 4.37 billion. In 2018, its total revenue amounted to around 15.79 billion U.S. dollars, has grown from 1.36 billion U.S. dollars a decade ago. The net income of the company in 2018 stood at 1.21 billion U.S. dollars, with a total of 7,100 employees working worldwide.

Netflix Revenue Model – Subscription video-on-demand

Netflix is one of the current pioneers of subscription-based content. It runs on a Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) model. Subscribers pay for a monthly plan and are given access to a vast library of media—any time, anywhere. Thus, subscriptions are Netflix’s main source of revenue.

But unlike apps like Spotify which also runs on premium subscription, there’s no free option in Netflix. This means all members are paying for the content they want to watch. Users enjoy the convenience of ad-free entertainment, although ad trials have taken place recently. 

It also has a DVD rental on a subscription basis, but only the streaming side of the business will be discussed in this blog.

Pricing strategy of Netflix

Netflix offers different prices based on the quality of video required- Basic, Standard and Premium. Generally, it provides the first month of subscription for free. Basic with standard resolution is $7.99 a month, but it can only be used one device at a time. On the other hand, for $10.99 a month, one gets HD video on two devices, and shelling out $13.99 a month offers Ultra HD streaming on four devices. Additionally, opting in for Netflix’s DVD service will be costly- with their Premium service, as it will be $30 a month when all is said and done. 

The diagram below shows the structure of Netflix pricing.

As Netflix opened up to around 190 countries all over the globe, the cost varies depending on the country as well. You can get a Basic subscription for as low as $5 in Mexico or as high as $11 in Switzerland and Denmark.

This “simultaneously local, personal, and global” approach, according to chief product officer Greg Peters, is the reason why international revenue is expected to surpass revenue generated from US consumers. But as of now, international audiences only account for 40% of Netflix’s overall quarterly revenue.

The graph below vouches the fact that there had been a steady increase in revenue for this American video streaming company over the years.

Content costs and content acquisition

Over the past year, Netflix spent more than $8.9 billion cash just for streaming content. It already spent $5.39 this year, expanding its vast library through acquiring and creating content.

One of the reasons why Netflix has a vast library is that they acquire content from distributors and studios. They do this using direct purchases, revenue sharing agreements, and license agreements. It pays back to the overall revenue, as 80% of Netflix’s revenue comes from licensed content.

The company also puts a premium on those shows branded with the Netflix logo in their upper left corners—called Netflix Originals. In 2013, Netflix presented Netflix Originals as a way of filling up more content for the users to watch. They spent $2.7 billion in new content alone and will aim to have 1,000 original content by the end of 2018.

It is expected that investments for original content can increase up to 50% of the content budget, according to industry experts.

Video streaming server costs

Netflix uses its own content delivery network for USA- Namely Open Connect, the advanced technology infrastructure promises nothing less than 99.99% uptime. Though for delivery across the world, it relies on top-tier CDN like Akamai.

Data is stored Amazon Web Services (AWS), where terabytes of storage can be deployed to a thousand servers quickly. They also have backup data from Google Cloud Storage, along with Netflix using the platform for AI-supported applications.

Salary Costs

Netflix is still a tech company, even if it’s different than the usual tech companies. After all, it is lumped together with technology giants Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Alphabet’s Google. Thus, it puts a premium on its employees, especially those working in tech. Average pay range varies from approximately 10.57 U.S.D per hour for Operations Associate to 17.10 U.S.D per hour for Customer Support representative. The diagram below shows the variation in the range of salaries for Netflix employees. 

Source: www.salarylist.com

Competition faced by Netflix

At present Netflix is the largest online subscription service for streaming entertainment in the world. In the initial years, it gained popularity by providing its customers with unlimited DVD rentals at fixed rates with extended due dates. Hence, when it was first launched, this business model was the first one of its kind in the whole world. The only competition Netflix faced in the initial years was from Blockbuster, which was the largest home video service in the U.S. In 2004, when Netflix’s revenue was around 500 million U.S.D, Blockbuster launched its own rent-by-mail service called Total Access to increase its revenue and hold on to the customers that Netflix had appealed to. In the first quarter of 2007, it is reported that Netflix’s growth was slowed down due to the new program launched by Blockbuster. However, in 2010 Blockbuster became bankrupt and went out of the competition. Few other competitors of Netflix are Redbox, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Go & HBO Now, Vudu, Turner, Spotify etc. When Netflix initially came into the Indian market, BIGFlix, a movie streaming service was re-launched by Reliance Entertainment. But it was ousted by Netflix as it only offered movies only in regional languages.

Major reasons for the success of Netflix business model

• Netflix is expanding internationally. Within a span of 7 years, it has established its popularity in 190 countries across the world.
• The strength of Netflix is its original contents. In 2018, Netflix has released over 1500 hours of movie, TV series and other productions. It also creates sequels to original ended TV series.
• Netflix provides a variety of shows in several foreign languages, thus attracting a huge number of subscribers across the world. It has expanded from three languages- English, Spanish and Portuguese to more than 20 foreign languages.
• Netflix does not show any commercial during video streaming. Anyone who has internet connection can be a potential Netflix subscriber. With its content both hosted and original, Netflix targets all age and income groups.
• It provides reasonable pricing. However, Netflix will face tougher competitions in the future as more video streaming services are coming up. Netflix sets very high standard for its employees, therefore it may be difficult for selecting the top talents from the industry. It is noteworthy to say that Netflix has constantly ventured to develop and introduce new services and improving its value propositions with never ending hosted data and great range of its own original content. If the company wants more subscribers to join their network they need to have a stronger e-commerce oriented business model and services along with innovative marketing strategies.

Summarising

In conclusion, Netflix’s business model is trying to get as many users hooked as possible in spite of the costs. Will the number of subscribers outweigh the billions of costs invested? It’s a question to ponder about, as we go along with binge-watching in our different screens.

Want to be the next Netflix? VdoCipher offers most secure video selling platform which includes a ready to launch video website, course builder, membership management, DRM security including encryption and watermarking, and payment integration.

You can read more about Netflix in these blogs:

• Netflix Codec
• Netflix Password Sharing Crackdown
• Netflix History
• Netflix DRM

FAQs

Is Netflix B2B or B2C?

On Netflix consumers access various movies, docuseries, and TV shows for which they need to pay a monthly subscription. This content may also include Netflix Originals. By offering self-produced or outsourced content directly to viewers, Netflix becomes a B2C service.

Who is Netflix owner?

Wilmot Reed Hastings Jr. is the co-founder, and executive chairman of Netflix, Inc. He was born on October 8, 1960 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Is Netflix profitable?

Netflix is one of the very few profitable streaming service providers. Even in 2024, its stock prices are continuously on the rise with growth of more than 80% in an year. During the same duration, Walt Disney Co stocks have appreciated nearly 10% only.

References

• Netflix | History – link
• Netflix About Section – link
• Netflix Wikipedia – link

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post Netflix Business Model: World’s Largest Video Selling Platform appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Today, OTT is the unusual alternative which is rising and bringing television entertainment to screens in people’s pockets. In this age of technological development, the consumers have become more conscious about the price they pay for services. OTT brings film and TV content via the Internet, without requiring people to subscribe to TV cable services. OTT platforms in India are taking over the Indian entertainment market massively in this very decade.

According to the latest FICCI-KPMG report (2017), “urban consumers have been early adopters of video, especially in the age group of 15-34, which constitutes 70-75% of the total internet base.”

Therefore, working professionals, students, or someone who doesn’t own a television set, find it more comfortable to consume most of the TV shows and movies online. For example – Today, even parents staying at home enjoy convenient viewing through Amazon Firestick.

The scope for OTT in India:

As per the reports by The Indian Express, “India will have 371 million internet users by June. There are about 66 million unique connected video viewers in the country, and about 1.3 million OTT paid video subscribers.”

The most evident example of OTT in India is Hotstar. Hotstar, a subsidiary of Star India Pvt. Ltd has included 8 languages and content from 15+ TV channels. Hotstar brings some of the longest running, and highest rated TV content in India.

Netflix is another example. Netflix launched its streaming subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service in 2007. Currently, more than 1/3rd of the total American households subscribes to Netflix. In India, the millennial generation prefers to sit at home and watch Netflix instead of going to the Cineplex. Therefore, the hike in the use of the internet and smart devices will undoubtedly grow at exponential rates.
Voot, Amazon Prime Video are some other examples. This clearly explains the depth of OTTs effect. The content owners and aggregators are using non-TV platforms to improve reach and generate revenues through subscription and advertisement.

But what makes one want to watch television online? This presents a fantastic opportunity for service providers to generate new revenue from video-on-demand, catch-up TV, and interactive applications.

Here are some ways in which OTT platforms are revolutionizing the television watching experience:

• Play. Pause. Rewind. Forward:
  Compared to Television, OTT services offer a large part of the control of watching to the viewer. The viewer can decide how much they want to consume.
  The video feed is streamed online and thus, the viewer is no longer within the confines of time slots.
  With OTT platforms viewers no longer need to worry about missing out on the continuation of their favorite shows.
• The convenience of devices:
  OTT literally means Over The Top – anytime and anywhere. These services are available across different devices (smartphones, laptops, and televisions). According to EY, there were 160 million digital video viewers in 2016 alone. This base is expanding daily. Whether it’s the desire to watch a movie alone on a lazy day or spend a family evening with on the large screen, OTT platforms take care of it all.

  As per Media Partner Asia, there are more than 66 million active OTT users across India today, and the number of video subscribers is projected to grow to 105 million by 2020.

• Cost-Effectiveness:
  Pay for six movie channels seems a waste when they are available for the price of one. OTT platforms have changed the concept of making custom packs and choosing channels. OTT platforms prove all content for the same price as their subscription plans. With data packs and internet services getting more cost-effective, the future for Video-on-Demand (VOD) platforms online looks bright.

  According to a Cisco report, India will have 829 million internet users by 2021, twice as much as compared to 2016 when there were already 373 million users.
  

• Globally curated Content in One Place:
  Compared to DTH cable services, OTT platforms offer a large variety of regional and international content. Many shows air at the same time as they would in their host country.
  OTT customers are often mobile viewers and consume content from a variety of places. From waiting in line at the store to even while on vacation. A unique aspect of the Indian OTT market is the large population base living outside India. Global Content curated at one platform saves the need to pay for costly foreign hosts.
• Language is no longer a barrier:
  A huge opportunity exists due to a large number of languages spoken in India. Having content available in many languages beyond the most popular ones differentiates one type of OTT platform from the other. This is why Netflix is slowly increasing more Indian content.
• Catching up on Sports made easier:
  From football and cricket to Formula, almost all major sporting events are now available on OTT platforms.

  According to a report by Scroll.in, online IPL viewership crossed the 100 million mark in 2016.

  One no longer has to wait for the highlights to catch up on those football penalties and hockey goals. People can watch sports anywhere now on their smartphones. In the metro, on the bus, on a vacation and even at home. They are no longer bound to the time slots.

• Original Content:
  OTT platforms also provide a platform for small budget projects and web series.
  Even famous Indian movie directors like – Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee are opting for OTT platforms to release their movies. Lust Stories and Sacred Games are Original Indian contributions released exclusively on Netflix.
  Web series provide content for people who simply cannot connect with the daily saas-bahu soaps on television. Apart from shows, OTTs also are also great platforms for stand-up comedians and travel-lifestyle concepts. Comicstaan, a reality tv show by stand-up comedians like – Tanmay Bhatt, Biswa Kalyan Rath., etc is being aired on Amazon Prime Video.
• Feedback and Chatrooms:
  OTTs revolutionized the way the viewer/consumer interact with their favorite shows. Content makers and script writers do not depend on TRPs alone. They can actually improve on their content by analyzing viewer engagement. Likes, dislikes, viewership, and comments offer qualitative feedback. Some OTTs also offer chat rooms where viewers can interact, boosting engagement with the show or movie.
• Quality of Experience:
  Viewers expect broadcast quality from online video. They want the OTT service to operate just like television does in India – sit down, turn it on, and it ‘just works’. Also, OTT provides personal space for viewing without the interruption of family members or movie hall audience.

  For instance, nearly 50 percent of respondents from a recent State of Online Video research report said they will stop watching the second time video buffers.
  

  As a result, many companies employing a single, integrated UI that supports their specific business requirements make it much easier for viewers to consume, discover, and share content in India.

  

Obstacles to the OTT and VOD platforms in India:

One of the key network challenges that users in India face is slow speed. The current infrastructure simply doesn’t provide good connectivity. Recent studies show that just a five-second delay in the start of a video turns off most users, many of who won’t come back for another look. Another obstacle is payment mechanisms. The payment methodology in India is still not digital-friendly, which is holding back OTT subscriptions. The ability to have seamless, frictionless digital payment systems is key for growth over the long term.

Most OTT and VOD platforms offer their entire catalog – including premium content – for a free trial, without even taking the users’ card details! In an ecosystem where there’s always one person who decides what everyone will watch on TV, having the ability to control and access what each person watches, is a welcome change.

Despite so many OTT streaming options at their disposal, most Indians prefer to use pirated content. If you are looking to launch an OTT platform with highest piracy protection, have a 30 day free trial at VdoCipher. 

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post How OTT is Revolutionizing TV Experience in India appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

What is AVOD (Advertisement Video on Demand) ?

As in name AVOD, user is not asked for any payments and revenue comes from in video advertising in form of pre roll, mid roll, post roll , text ads etc.  Some famous examples of VOD platform with AVOD as major model are Youtube, Hotstar, Dailymotion. The revenue model relies on revenue distribution amongst the platform + ad agency, while the brand owner spending the money. Some platforms decide to play the role of ad agency themselves by directly catering to brands, thus opening up more opportunities for revenue.

What is SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) ?

Prominent famous VOD sites like Netflix, Hulu, Hotstar, Amazon Prime , Byjus etc have Thousands of hours of content.  They provide such unlimited stuff in an affordable price per month or year. This idea of providing an offering of bundled video content in one to all pricing is SVOD. The basic practical assumption for SVOD is that the user will only watch a certain amount of content (say 20 to 100 hours per month).  If the user is able to somehow watch all the content offered to him, the bandwidth costs for the business will lead to overall losses.

Now we enlist all the advantages and flaws in the two models. Thus, the reader can make an informed choice amongst the two.  Before that lets look at a stats full infographic on SVOD with Netflix.

Infographic on AVOD for Dailymotion & SVOD for Hotstar is included below.

AVOD – Pro & Cons

PROS

1. User Acquisition is easy

   Since user does not have to pay for any video in AVOD, he can freely signup and start watching content. Relevant recommendations can lead to higher user time spend on the platform, thus enhancing revenue generation possibilities.

2. Easy revenue distribution model to video content creators & ad partners

   A direct revenue split like 60:40 with number of ads viewed by user , leads to no confusion in revenue distribution model. Though internalising the ad bids and increasing/decreasing costs is a challenge for large platforms.

3. Variety of Models available – Pre roll, Midroll video ads, In video ads, Text overlay ads

   The video ads can vary in length, can be forced/skippable. The video advertisements can come before the main video, during or post the video. Small text overlays over the video are also now quite popular.

4. Personalised Ad recommendations for Brands

   AVOD allows the platform to engage the audience and make the brands happy by serving ads to only relevant population. Like tech savy youth can be catered to different types of ads then other population. Youtube is a prime example of this.

CONS

1.   AVOD works only on large scale

   Video is a bandwidth expensive business. While TVOD or SVOD allows the content owner to directly recover the cost of bandwidth at small scale, AVOD requires large usage to have cheap per unit streaming rates.

2.  Profitability takes time to kick in

   Due to bandwidth costs, right optimisation of ad parameters and content type; overall it takes some years generally for AVOD to become profitable.

3. Requires sound technology to integrate ad networks , custom ads , personalisation for viewers

   The technology is bit extensive to work upon as compared to other models. Personalising ads to increase revenues, multiple device compatibilities are a key challenge. You might have heard of Netflix not able to play at all or play HD in some devices due to DRM issues. AVOD platforms have free users and dont have the freedom to restrict usage on any device/browser.

SVOD – Pros & Cons

PROS

1. User Retention is high: New content trial is easy

   Since user has paid for the whole platform in SVOD, though he has some favourite content but there is also lot of additional content he can try. Mail campaigns, ads , homepage prompts can motivate the user to try additional content. Yes, it will lead to higher costs, but it also leads to higher retention, more content ingestion and thus better performance of the overall platform. Iterations over recommendations and costing are done for better monetisation strategies.

2. SVOD allows recurring revenue streams: Better Predictability

   SVOD supports recurring charging models. Users can put in their credit card which renews the contract on monthly basis. This allows for the VOD platforms to better predict their upcoming revenues and thus grow their business.

3.  Best for large content portfolio

   SVOD works best if you have a large content portfolio, provides better retention, time per user , and trust to content providers that their content reaches maximum of audience. More details on how to make it work are here.

CONS

1. SVOD Only works at scale, Risky at low user base

   Since SVOD doesnot inherently directly link operational costs of bandwidth to revenues, it works generally at larger scale. The cost of delivery reduces at scale.  High pricing or Limitation on content hours can make it work at lower audience number.

2.  Revenue distribution agreements are tricky in SVOD

   It is difficult to determine that which movie or serial actually prompted the user to buy the subscription. Though video views and engagement data are at backend, the overall revenue distribution model becomes tricky. It is a combination of pre-paid license fees for content, revenue share on basis of number of views, and retention rates etc .

3.  Recommendations and Visibility for large content is a challenge

   Since VOD platforms with SVOD as major revenue channel have 1000s of hours of content , which movies/serials to present at front, which to recommend is a challenge. Though at same time , it is an opportunity to charge money from new content producers for advertisement and promotions on the platform.

SVOD for Netflix: Key Stats, User Engagement, Monetisation

To launch a VOD platform with highest security from piracy + seamless experience, Start free trial at VdoCipher.com

This short video here explains how to upload, embed and securely stream videos through VdoCipher.

Siddhant Jain

CEO, VdoCipher. Writes about video tech, ed tech and media tech.

www.vdocipher.com/

The post SVOD (Subscriber Video on Demand) vs AVOD (Advertising Video on Demand) appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.