Media Technology

Checklist to Be Sure Your OTT Platform Provider Is a Good One

Editor

OTT platforms completely changed the lives of tons of people worldwide. Years ago, everyone was used to watching their favorite TV shows and movies through satellite or cable TV, but they now do it by using their internet connection and the OTT platform of their preference.

The first OTT platform to become mainstream around the world was Netflix, and its arrival inspired many people to follow the same path and create more alternatives for the ones willing to download them or pay for them. Thanks to that, there’s now more than one OTT solution on the market.

IPTV platforms and OTT solutions also helped marketing teams find a new way to make their content get to their audience, and that’s by using SSAI advertising.

Unfortunately, many OTT business owners worry about their OTT platform provider not being that good at the end of the day. The reason for that is they don’t know how to measure the quality of these providers. We are here to help you, so read on to get a checklist that tells you if your OTT provider is a good one.

What Is an OTT Platform?

OTT stands for “Over-the-Top,” and it represents an online broadcast and streaming service that allows people to directly watch online content by only using their internet connection.

These platforms bring many benefits to the public and people looking forward to investing in ads. People investing in OTT advertising have tons of possibilities available for them with OTT platforms since they can place their ads on tons of videos across the internet.

The people who access the content don’t have to do many things to watch the videos or TV shows they want to watch. They only need to sign up for an account of that OTT solution and then find the video they want to watch.

However, OTT platform owners need to consider many other things, such as the OTT provider they want for their OTT solution, investors looking forward to paying for SSAI advertising, and the content they want to stream on their platform.

Who Is an OTT Provider?

OTT providers are simply the systems and servers you use to make your content get to the audience that downloads it or streams it. There are many OTT providers out there, and each of them has different features, advantages, and disadvantages. OTT providers such as Netflix avoid showing you any ads at all, but others such as Hulu let people invest in SSAI advertising.

Many people get confused about what OTT providers are and what makes them different from an OTT platform itself. The best way to differentiate one from another is by saying that OTT platforms are the ones that offer the content to customers and give them an interface to access it (MSO service provider, for example).

What OTT providers do is send that content to OTT platforms and then manage it. When someone invests in SSAI advertising, the OTT provider in a company makes sure ads are placed at the right moment and without glitches or buffering issues.

What Solutions Should a Good OTT Platform Provider Offer to OTT Streaming Services?

One of the things that help people know if an OTT provider is good or not is how many OTT solutions it offers to the streaming service and how good each OTT solution is. This is as important as it would be to have decent features.

Here are the most important OTT solutions you need your OTT provider to give you:

OTT Monetization

Everyone starting a business needs to profit from it at the end of the day, and you have to specify where that profit is going to come from in your business plan.

OTT monetization helps you with that, and there are many alternatives to select from. The easiest OTT solution for monetization people can apply is SSAI advertising, but it has pros and cons. However, there are other monetization models, such as a monthly subscription, pay-per-view model, and others.

OTT Middleware 

OTT Middleware allows you to handle and administer the content you stream through your OTT platform. OTT middleware also lets you offer client support features, more efficient product management, and many interface templates to design a unique platform. However, it also represents an expensive development cost.

CDN

Content Delivery Network (or CDN software) assists OTT providers and helps them approach customers more smoothly. This network of servers is what allows people to access content from cable boxes, mobile phones, and other devices.

Features Every OTT Platform Must Have

Features are as important as OTT solutions, so here are some of the must-have features for your OTT platform:

  • Optimized ad engagement
  • Media player
  • Centralized Video Content Management System (CMS)
  • Multi-Device Platforms

Extra Features That Benefit Streaming Businesses

These are not essential features, but it gives you an excellent plus to have them:

  • Video hosting
  • Customization possibilities
  • Analytics and insights features

Checklist to Know Your OTT Platform Provider Is Good

If you want to know if your OTT provider is good enough for you and your customers, you need to ask yourself some questions. Use the ones listed below to have a reference of the things you may have to improve the service you offer:

Can My OTT Provider Stream Content to All Kinds of Devices?

It’s best for OTT platforms to be available for all devices.

Do I Offer HD Video Quality? 

While many people don’t pay attention to that, many others do. Offering top-notch video quality for all the content you stream is critical if you stream movies or TV shows.

Does My OTT Provider Give Me the Essential OTT Solutions?

If at least one of them is missing, you may have to change your OTT provider.

Are the Features My OTT Provider Offers Enough for What My Platform Does? 

Analyze the content you offer and your target audience and see if the features your provider offers are enough for what you want your OTT platform to be.

Bottom Line

Running an OTT platform is not easy at all, and you have to constantly look for things to improve and keep your system up to date. However, you first need to know if your OTT provider is enough for you, so ask yourself the questions listed before to know if you can stick with the provider you have, or if you have to go for another.