What Are OTT Apps? How Can You Leverage Them?

Updated 08/09/2022

Gone are the days when people are willing to put up with concepts such as "appointment television." If people want content, they want it now – no matter their location, time, or device.

What is OTT App Development?

Many streaming services benefit from OTT app developers. 

Why is OTT Important to Businesses?

OTT video offers content providers, including B2B businesses, an opportunity to distribute their video content as a standalone product directly to their target audience.

Instead of operating within the confines of telecommunications companies or broadcast television platforms, OTT apps allow you to speak directly to your audience through your own branded apps on mobile and TV devices.

Currently, there are more than 51 million households in the U.S. who use an OTT platform or app to stream content on a regular basis, which amounts to than 50% of internet-connected homes in the US. They use these apps for more than 100 minutes every day. 

With OTT streaming, consumers can access content anytime they have an internet connection. Rather than using traditional cable and a television set, OTT providers opt for the following:

• Roku TV
• Mobile apps on mobile phones(Netflix, Hulu, etc.)
• Amazon Fire TV
• Apple TV
• Android TV
• Gaming consoles (Xbox, Playstation, etc.)

The content delivery and viewing experience are evolving as viewer preferences move from IPTV, video on demand (VOD), etc. toward a subscription model (SVOD). Cable is out, and smart TVs are in.

The chances are high that as a B2B brand, you're already creating more content than you have at any point leading up to now. OTT apps give you a new opportunity to distribute and monetize your content and benefit your audience. 

Connect with top app developers on Clutch.

OTT Application Examples

OTT apps are typically audio or video streaming apps that do not require downloading content to engage with it. A few of these streaming platforms include:

• Netflix
• Hulu
• Amazon Prime Video
• Vimeo
• Disney+
• HBO
• Skype

Additional functionality, such as live streaming, allows service providers to take messaging and user experience to the next level.

Users that subscribe to these services can access the totality of what content creators provide. They generally do not have to pay-per-view or engage in transactional-based video-on-demand (TVOD), but this isn’t true of all subscription models.   

Companies looking for marketing and advertising-based video-on-demand (AVOD) opportunities won’t be disappointed with the monetization possibilities OTT offers.

OTT Apps Help Your Company Take Advantage of the 'Video Revolution'

In the short-term, OTT apps give you the opportunity to participate in the video content revolution and open new revenue streams for your business. 

We've reached a point where people produce video content more than all the major television networks in the U.S. in the last 30 years combined. Not only will video soon be the major source of internet traffic around the globe, but over half of that content is consumed on mobile devices. 

Source: Uscreen

OTT apps can change the way you connect with your B2B audiences.

Through OTT content, you can provide customers with access to an endless stream of content and communicate with a large group of people at any given moment. 

For example, you can create a series of instructional videos and allow people to rent them for a small fee or charge a single subscription fee that unlocks all of your content. 

You can also allow people to purchase individual pieces of video content, allowing users to take only what they want when they want.

Many large businesses use OTT services to host their online employee training programs and develop apps that provide their employees with 24/7 access to their educational and instructional content.

The Flexibility of OTT Apps Hooks Customers

People increasingly prefer video content – to the point some speculate that we are entering a post-text world. 

Customers want access to video content from providers at their convenience. Once they've experienced this flexibility, they won't return to consuming content on someone else's schedule. The consistent decline in cable subscriptions is proof of this.

As of January of 2018, 85% of U.S. internet users stream video content on their devices daily, and 95% of people do in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. 

Source

This drastic shift in how we consume video content drives the OTT market's growth: In 2021, it was valued at $151.4 billion. By 2027, that number is predicted to be $391.1 billion. 

Business success is about solid and stable growth. Developing an OTT app for mobile and TV devices can help you grow your business audience and revenue by as much as 30% in the short-term.

In addition, marketers who use video grow revenue at a rate of approximately 50% faster than non-video users. OTT apps let you extend these benefits even further. 

Further, companies can make the most out of OTT through the notification offerings provided, which work very similarly to push notifications found on iOS and Android mobile devices. 

People enjoy flexibility in choosing the source of the video content they consume and the schedule on which they view it. Through OTT apps and services, your company can take full advantage of current trends.

OTT Apps Create Benefits For Your Company and Customers

OTT apps provide full control over your content, its accessibility, and its reach. 

They let you deliver the experience that your customers want in a way that you control. OTT content leverages the video revolution to your full advantage in a way that creates a mutually beneficial situation for you and your customers.

Need help? Find the best app development companies on Clutch. 

About the Author

Amir Shahzeidi Social Media Manager, Uscreen.tv

Amir Shahzeidi is the social media manager at a Uscreen, who's abnormally intrigued by all things marketing. He's also a composer and pianist who's rarely loved by his neighbors because all he ever plays is atonal music. But cats love him so it's fine!

See full profile