OTT Industry Trends to Look Out in 2019

2018 packed itself up with some fascinating moves. Steered by original content, the OTT industry witnessed some cool rivalry among video streaming platforms, not-so-cool business acquisitions by bigger players, promising growth in subscription numbers and the emergence of regional players challenging the industry elites.  

But 2018 has not taken away all the charm with itself. 2019 will be experiencing some sparks coming into action which were announced or discussed last year. This list comprises the launch of video streaming services by Disney, Warner Media, AT&T, least apart Amazon’s video game streaming platform, and so on…

And as we have stepped into 2019, knowledge of the upcoming OTT trends is surely the need of the hour and if you are thinking of launching your OTT platform, then this post is especially for you where you can learn and understand the trend that may shape and reshape the streaming industry for its own good. Take a look and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Top OTT Trends for 2019 (Predictions to look out in Future)

1. Subscription price may Increase

Now, this is not a news anymore. Netflix has increased its subscription price recently. So, what does it suggest? SVOD platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu etc. are spearheading the OTT industry and share the credit for making streaming popular across the globe. While ease of access and slashing data and smartphones rates fuel live and on-demand streaming, 2018 added original contents to the list as well. Netflix originals, Prime Video originals kept winning millennials and GenZ alike making the leading names in the industry a household name everywhere. So, if subscription prices increase this year going forward, don’t get amused. We bet you can’t resist the appeal of the binge-worthy shows either.

2. Rough weather to continue for Pay-TVs

Research shows on an average, users will spend 170.6 minutes every day on the internet; video streaming will reach around 332.2 million subscribers, and Roku, Fire TV, etc. will be the main streaming devices behind this mammoth growth. The statistics combined with the upsurge of regional streaming services and the launch of new platforms from media houses such as Disney, Warner Brothers etc. clearly suggests that for Pay-TVs, the battle against OTT will be far from over.

3. Ad-supported Offline Viewing can be a reality

The increased number of OTT users will automatically attract advertisers to take advantage of the platform and market their products or services. Thus 2019 is going to witness substantial growth in digital advertising.

According to a report, 49% of Gen Z and 48% of the millennials spend much of their time on online streaming. Advertisers have now a smoother and smarter way to cater to their target audience and earn big. Streaming platforms with AVoD revenue model are in a win-win situation here as they can make their service completely ad-free by charging more or can simply reduce the price, increase user base and keep on earning revenue from digital advertisers.

Also with 42% US and 50% UK SVOD users downloading videos for offline viewing, advertisers may soon come with an option to embed ads in the content itself. This is again a win-win situation for both advertisers and video streaming service owners as latter can charge extra bucks from their users for completely ad-free viewing. There will soon be dynamic ad insertion technique that will let you stitch advertisements with video content at CMS level rather than a client’s browser.

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4. Artificial Intelligence to make streaming smarter

The OTT industry has already got a glimpse of the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) through the recommendation engine.  Recommendation engines are by far the most evident and talked about use case of AI in OTT platforms. It is especially helpful for platforms which have been functioning on a subscription-based model as it is instrumental in content discovery and segmentation based out of user persona. Recommendation engines are going to be smarter and better with their recommendations in 2019, thereby increasing users’ lifespan on any website they are browsing on. Be it OTT or e-commerce sites.

5. Being Interactive with AR & VR

Research has shown that the combined market size of augmented and virtual reality will reach around $215 billion by 2021. There are more than 1,760 VR startups working for different industries which include advertising, education, tourism, and many others. And along with all of these, 2019 is expecting to experience an additional revolution – the VR headsets might not require the support of external devices anymore. So, both of these technologies will make their remarkable moves in this year, and later on as well.

6. Live Streaming & Short-Form Contents will stay in Vogue

Research says that viewers spend 8X more time on live streaming than on-demand videos. Starting from FIFA World Cup to Academy Awards, last year, live streaming was rolling on the table with all major events being extensively covered. The backstage chitchats in leading entertainment and sports events are immensely popular among viewers. So, get ready to have a sneak peek of your favorite stars just by tapping the “start streaming” button.

7. Streaming UHD Videos in Low Latency

With greater appreciation of OTT industry comes greater demand for high-quality videos. Thus viewers are resistant to compromise 4K streaming with service interruption. This calls for availing the most competent CDN to assure low latency to your viewers. According to several studies, even a smaller lapse in videos can cause you loss in viewers number. Improved video delivery will top the list of deliverables for leading streaming service providers and especially the ones who are starting off.

[Everything you need to know about CDN and Why Muvi is ahead of the curve when it comes to Content Delivery]

8. Soaring Demand of Cloud Hosting

2019 is expected to be the year of cloud-based infrastructure for OTT platforms. Along with extensive storage space for online store owners and their users, it will also assist them to instantly launch and scale their services.

9. Sachet Pricing will enter the Move

2019 may see the OTT service providers offer the users with comparatively low-priced subscription plans for a week than for a month. This will facilitate the viewers to enjoy online content at a relatively lesser price. They can switch to subscribe to monthly plan whenever they feel like.

Until last year, OTT industry was more focused on technical improvisations and monetization. But in 2019 the focus will be more on viewing pattern and content consumption behavior. While quality content will be the primary driving force for OTT services, it would be interesting to see the pricing strategy of bigger players and how they balance things out when they carry on with their expansion plans.

Stay tuned as we come up with an interesting blog next week straight from our leadership desk! Till then Happy Streaming!

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