"Is anyone still talking about OTT?" This was a question recently relayed by an industry colleague. A fair question, to be sure, especially as it was both absolutely right and absolutely wrong. And while I could get defensive (this is the "OTT Monitor" after all), it was more a chance to reflect and laugh at the often-ridiculous nature of the buzzwords our industry so adores...
Over-the-top's core concept revolves around using the Internet to go over-the-top of PayTV providers and reach the TV. Ironically, about 60% of users are doing this over an Internet connection provided by that same PayTV provider. The very nature of the term set up an "us vs. them" battle and devolved into the use of strange buzzwords such as "cord cutters" and "cord shavers."
To enable PayTV operators to compete against the growing threat of OTT, another buzzword entered the dialog: "TV Everywhere" (TVE). TVE and associated authentication models were seen as the means by which PayTV providers could extend their content reach outward, beyond their PayTV network to net-connected platforms and devices. This trend also pointed out a shortcoming in our original definition of OTT, which as built to focus on television delivery of web video and the devices that enabled it (game consoles, Blu-ray, etc.).
However, the rise of net-connected tablets and smartphones as separate non-TV viewing screens has challenged this conception. As well, as traditional PayTV operators have incorporated Internet delivery models to the TV, terms such as "hybrid" and "fusion" have entered the discussion, denoting the blending of PayTV and net-delivered video inward to the TV. Cox Communications, for example, will soon offer retail TiVO boxes that enable web TV and movie services like Neflix and Amazon along with Cox's VoD services.
The newest terms to enter the OTT nomenclature include "multiscreen" and "multiplatform." Yep, OTT as defined in our 2007 Little Book of Broadband Video has left the building! Our market has clearly evolved to a point where the old definition has become irrelevant...
Of course, the arrival of new OTT buzzwords is a certainty as OTT continues to morph into multifaceted concept. Whether you want to call it "OTT", "TVE", "fusion", or "multi-screen", the OTT Monitor will continue to prove insight on the important stories and emerging trends that impact the space. And if you're wondering, no, we ain't changing the name....
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