OTT has completely changed the way of receiving television, and the way we watch it. The statistics demonstrate this huge transformation in the broadcasting industry. The number of over-the-top (OTT) subscriptions in the United States in 2017 were 153 million which is projected to rise to over 197 million by end of 2022.

“Cord-cutting” (unsubscribing to cable connections) rates have jolted the cable business due to the OTT TV concept. As the OTT becomes the obvious choice for entertainment by viewers, cable companies are finding it difficult to find new opportunities and it looks like a thing of the past now. 

Let us walk you through what is an OTT TV, how different devices are being utilized by users for the OTT TV experience, and what works best for you. 

What is an OTT TV App?

OTT or Over-the-Top Television is the new delivery technique used for Cinema and TV content broadcast. Such content is delivered through internet connections on different devices. 

OTT TV Apps allow users to watch movies, series, and video content via the internet. It finds advantage in the fact that it gives instant gratification to the viewers with access to ‘anything, anywhere, anytime for viewing’. The videos on OTT can be paused and played at per users’ convenience unlike in the case of traditional TVs. Netflix is a very popular example of OTT TV.

Which OTT TV Apps work best for better Business Revenues? 

Launching an OTT app in itself is not as tough as resolving which streaming device/devices to launch your OTT app on. The next section of this blog helps you make a wise decision pertaining to this. 

Apple TV 

Apple TV streaming device can be connected to a high-definition TV through an HDMI cable. It is popular with 21 million active American viewers, yet its market share lies behind Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Users can live stream music, and videos and play games, etc. 

Amazon Fire TV

Amazon Fire TV is a media player that can be used to stream videos, music, and games with an HDMI cable. It has 2 products, a Fire TV cube (is a set-top box) and the Fire TV Stick (is an HDMI plug-in). The users can also use the Amazon app store with its purchase. It had a customer base of 40 million active users per month in 2019. Its devices are available in about 100 countries

Android TV

Android TV is an operating system from Google, designed for TVs in the form of a set-top box and smart TV solution. It has a large user base because 40% of the world’s Smart TV OS is on Android TV. Its users can download apps and other Google services on TV.

Samsung Tizen TV

Samsung’s smart OS, Tizen supports a range of devices which includes TVs, home appliances, mobile devices, and signage. It has a user base in 197 countries through it develop Samsung Tizen TV app. Having a supportive OTT app like Tizen will help distribute your content across smart TV streaming devices all across the world. 

LG Web OS TV

It connects with the internet to give users access to new features, apps, channels and free subscriptions. LG All LG’s smart TVs are driven by this OS. While Tizen in 2020 held about 13% market share in Smart TV use, Web OS had 7.3% market share.  

Features not to be missed when building your OTT App

•       Search Bar

With the search bar, users are able to search for their preferred shows and movies. The search box must be easily noticeable and easily usable by all age groups. A search drop-down menu according to genres, also makes navigation easier. 

•       Categories

Include a wide niche of content categorization for content creators so that they can have a profitable streaming platform and an audience base from around the world. Have categories to accommodate content from Influencers, YouTube Creators, Fitness Instructors, Media Companies, Filmmakers, and from the Sports World.

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        Live Streaming

An OTT TV must support live streaming of shows, sports, and events. Live streaming of shows is in huge demand, to an extent that viewers are even ready to purchase subscriptions for Live streaming of their favorite content.

•       Offline Watch

OTT video downloading facility for the offline watch, lets users download the content when the internet connection is stable for later view (e.g. when traveling)

•       Multilingual and Regional Content

OTT TV must support multiple languages so that they are able to target an extensive audience base for more business.  

•       User Profile

User Profile includes information like age, gender, nationality, content preferences, etc. With this information uploaded, users can modify and filter their content choices depending on their watch history.

•       Content Categorization

Content categorization based on the genre is mandatory for easy exploration of content. Many leading OTTs have also bifurcated content on the basis of language, trend, age group, popularity, channel, new releases, etc.

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  Social Media Features

Add an option to share the content on social media platforms. This increases the visibility of your app, shows, and channels and spreads the word for free.

•       Screen Share

Allow screen share option to let users watch content on desktops and also TV screens too, without hassle. This can be done through Google Cast SDK and with AirPlay for Apple TV and iOS apps.

•       In-App Purchases

Having multiple payment options on your OTT Platform is important too. Whether AVOD, TVOD or SVOD, the purchases must be made secure and seamless for the user. Google and also Apple both have their own payment frameworks but they charge around 20-30% of all purchases done. 

Get Started with OTT TV App Development 

Once you have arrived at what devices to include in your OTT profile, you can work on the development of your app. Either a smart TV App developer can be hired for development or also you can use an OTT platform to build a custom OTT App.

Collaborating with a branded OTT solution provider enables you to build your app at a much faster rate and at a very lower cost when compared to full-fledged development. You can leverage the OTT TV App providers’ expertise and also choose from the number of features to host your content masterfully. 

Wrap-Up Thoughts

Now that you have an idea about the streaming devices used for OTT TV and the extent of their market presence, leverage also this perfect time to foray into OTT streaming business. On-board a branded, white-labeled OTT App builder company to expedite your business with their experience in this arena. Choose futuristic OTT video streaming solutions and also helps increase your revenue with shrewd monetization strategies and technologies