OTT
We are living in a transitional time in the video industry where the business of television is being redefined. The traditional television players, including broadcasters, cable operators, multichannel television service providers and program producers are steadily transitioning into
a new class of hybrid-media companies capable of designing both television programs as well as engaging in the live-streaming of programs to the end user.
The term Over-the-Top (OTT) video streaming refers to a type of media in which information and entertainment can be video streamed via the Internet to residential dwellings, including HDTV sets as well as users equipped with a computer or mobile device.
Cordcutters
The rise of OTT video services (and mobile viewing) has important implications for cable and other types of multichannel television service providers. Rather than subscribing to an entire cable television package, today’s consumer wants greater control over program selection and cost. The term cord cutter is often used to describe the process of cutting expensive cable services in order to get OTT. More and more consumers are dropping cable, telephone and satellite services in larger numbers than ever before. Or they are not subscribing in the first place (i.e., so called “cord nevers”). This is especially true for a younger generation of viewers who regularly watch TV on their computers and smart phones and prefer to pay less money.
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Photo: AI Generated
Suggested Readings
Benavides. C. and Buzeta, C. (2025). OTT Video Streaming: Redefining the Future of Television. In R. Gershon (Ed.) De Gruyter Handbook of Media Technology and Innovation. (pp. 183-200), Germany: De Gruyter.
Gershon R.A. (2024). Digital Media and Innovation: Management and Design Strategies in Communication. (2nd ed.) New York: Routledge.
Kim, H., Chan-Olmsted, S. M., Hwang, K. H., & Chang, B. H. (2021). Examining the use, perception, and motivation of cord-cutting: A consumer segment approach. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 98(1), 126–147.
McDonald, P., Donoghue, C. and Havens, T. (Eds.), (2021). Digital Media Distribution: Portals, Platforms, Pipelines. New York, USA: New York University Press.
Noam, E. (2021). The Technology, Business, and Economics of Streaming Video:
The Next Generation of Media Emerges. New York: Elgar.
Suggested Video Presentations