Successful OTT deployments are built around these 6 principles

Its very interesting to see that deployments of OTT platforms usually next to traditional broadcast or PayTV platforms continue to increase in pace as many content outlets look to jump in. It is not a trivial undertaking to take your media assets that can be delivered with wire line dependability and resiliency and port them over to less then dependable IP. The market opportunity is undeniable……

In speaking with many of Gartner’s media and entertainment clients, these are the top six imperatives that should help drive a successful OTT Deployment:

1. Redundancy– build the appropriate amount of it into the entire stack especially when delivering live vs. VOD streams. Dual sites, multiple cluster architectures and multi-layer caching; consider everything but the kitchen sink.
2. Monetization– the absolute key; use the right ad targeting and make sure you are hitting the right demographics. Content monetization is more of an art then science so make sure your MAM is well developed, cataloged and metadata provides the proper contextualization for your audience.
3. Compelling Content– It is still king an yes, its expensive to product or license.  The most successful OTT I see have a flagship series or sporting event that leverage user generated content, social syndication and the ability to connect rapid fan groups.
4. Frugality– Don’t overspend in technology, adverting and partnership until you see a path to revenue should be your mantra. I am an ardent believer that the right spending is necessary including quality of experience, support for ultra low latency streaming and content protection. All the other spending should be carefully scrutinized as their ability to gain and retain customers.
5. Pace layering– Don’t’ try to support all formats, codecs, DRM and monetization technologies at once. There is a lot of hype in the OTT market around current and future growth. Plan a strategy to fit your internal competencies.
6. Diverse Analytics- Analytics are like pizza; even when bad pizza is generally edible. Analytics that are based synthetic transactions, aggregated and IP network only are useful but not game changing. Analytics that tell the full story about every stream, every codec, every use experience, will provide the decision making input to understand and engage your audiences.

IF you are considering a OTT deployment and are a Gartner clients or wish to become one, please reach out as I would love to chat.