Over The Top (OTT) applications are apps or services that are provided over the internet which bypass the traditional distribution systems and are typically related to the media and communication. It's a platform through which content is accessed over the internet without the need for a satellite dish or a cable connection. OTT platforms have gained popularity because of their inherent ability to show content on demand anywhere and at any time with just an internet connection. The recent Covid-19 pandemic has fuelled the rise of media consumption over these platforms. With the growing acceptance and adoption of these platforms, most businesses are getting into leveraging this technology to take advantage of these popular and revenue-generating apps.

Businesses across many segments are taking advantage of this shift in accessing content that these OTT platforms bring. Some of the business benefits of this platform are

• Building better brand awareness and positioning
• Improving value for customers
• Increased customer engagement
• A personalized experience for customers
• Targeted advertising and creating new revenue streams
• Content delivery and monetization

Let's discuss some of the industries that can benefit from it:

Media & Entertainment– This industry consists of film, print, audio and television with content ranging from movies, magazines, podcasts, news broadcasts etc. The OTT platform is a perfect fit for this industry.

To work around some limitations that television faces the media and entertainment businesses are coming out with OTT apps that let users access their content anytime, and anywhere. Users no have to miss out on any sports or media event

https://youplayer.co.kr/.

For ex. – SonyLiv has established itself as an attractive streaming service provider and offers sports, and media of all types for all ages.

Similarly, the audio industry, which is an extremely popular source of entertainment, has made it easy for users to access their content by moving onto the OTT platform. The costs are low for the release of songs via the OTT rather than any other platform. A significant initiative by audio OTT has been the addition of live streaming to the app, where artists can host virtual performances or jam sessions to directly engage with the audience.

Education– This industry has benefited the most by using the OTT platforms. The concept was in use before and has been used widely for professional courses. The Covid-19 pandemic took the use of OTT platforms for studies to a different level. With schools, colleges & other educational institutions not able to conduct online classes, they adapted to e-learning using OTT platforms. Online courses use this platform to host tutorials, tips and classroom supplements in video-on-demand form. The content can be viewed at the subscriber's convenience. e-Learning programs use streaming and VoD so that the users can attend live classes and also access the content at any time later on.

Gaming– Live gaming is on the rise, and Amazon's Twitch, the video game-focused live streaming service is a prime example of the love for online live gaming. Gamers can experience and connect with gamers across the world, to play or just watch live gaming in action. Professional streaming can be combined with high-level play with entertaining commentary and the earnings can be from sponsors, donations, or subscriptions.

With the success of gaming platforms, YouTube launched YouTube gaming and a similar platform was launched by Facebook in 2020 named Facebook gaming. There are many other streaming platforms like Hitbox, InstaGib TV, Twitch etc.

Gaming content on OTT gives that publisher the potential of significantly higher ROI than any other option as they are set up worldwide and can be accessed in all regions overcoming boundaries.

Health and fitness– At home, fitness gained popularity during the Covid-19 lockdowns. People started accessing the online fitness tutorials and live yoga, and other fitness classes as per their schedules. Such apps can be built for both types of screens for better content clarity.

Business– Collaboration apps like Skype, Zoom, Slack, etc are some of the software and applications that have benefited from the OTT platforms. These software and applications are an indispensable part of every business and it's not possible to imagine meetings and collaboration in today's times without these apps.