THE MEDIA ENCYCLOPEDIA
Over The Top
Over The Top (OTT) refers to television and video content provided via the Internet rather than through a cable or satellite provider.
What is Over The Top (OTT)?
Over The Top (OTT) refers to television and video content provided via the Internet rather than through a cable or satellite provider. As a result, this content can be accessed through any internet enabled device, such as a laptop, tablet, smartphone, or smart television.
Who are the main players in Over The Top (OTT)?
The market for OTT services is becoming increasingly saturated. For the consumer, there are three primary ways to view OTT: Connected Devices such as Contacted Television (CTV) and Smart Phones, Virtual Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (vMVPDs) such as Netflix and Hulu, and Direct to Consumer (DTC) apps such as HBO GO and ESPN+.
How is Over The Top (OTT) different from cable or satellite television?
The primary difference between Over The Top (OTT) services and traditional cable and satellite television offerings is the means of distribution.
With traditional cable and satellite television offerings, video content is distributed via cable or satellite dishes operated by telecommunications companies like Comcast, DirecTV, and NBC. As a result, video content is available only to devices that are wired to a cable or satellite connection.
Over The Top (OTT) services differ in that video content is delivered via the Internet, which offers greater mobility for video consumption.
Because of added mobility and more favorable economics of digital distribution, OTT services such as Netflix have led many consumers to “cut the chord” and instead sign up with various OTT services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime for video content.
In addition, OTT has improved on concepts like Video On Demand (VOD) and introduced new formats for video, such as short-form episodic series and long-form documentaries which were not marketable within the linear television model of cable and satellite.