There are so many different types of OTT platforms it can be difficult to work out which one is best for your business. Online streaming itself is one of the fastest growing industries and this article will break down what several of the most popular platforms offer so you know if they’ll fit into your business strategy or not.
Pricing methods
Although all OTT material can be accessed via the internet, not all OTT platforms give access in the same way. The following three pricing methods are used by streaming services:
Subscription: Subscription plans are used by many OTT platforms where users pay to view content without adverts – think Netflix and Disney Plus. However, this eliminates all advertising options, so take this into account when choosing a platform.
Ad-based: Some OTT providers rely purely on adverts. Streaming services such as Pluto TV and Tubi TV use this strategy. Advertisers are certain to find a range of opportunities within this platform.
Hybrid: As you might have guessed, hybrid models combine subscription plans with ad-based platforms. Hulu, for example, provides viewers the option of a low-cost ad-supported subscription or a higher cost ad-free subscription.
If you are interested in taking a closer look, or getting more information about the options available to you, there are a wide range of OTT services by Finecast that might be attractive solutions for you.
Other businesses’ favourite OTT platforms
Here are several of the finest OTT platforms for advertising firms. Take a look at the list and see which one might work best for your business advertising and marketing plan.
- Spotify
Spotify is ranked as the number one most popular audio streaming service. It offers mostly audio material and many of the podcasts are native content, meaning they’re only available on Spotify.
Spotify bases its pricing on the hybrid model. Listeners who choose a free subscription are often interrupted by advertisements while they’re listening, whereas listeners who pay £9.99/month for a premium subscription will be free of advertisements.
Last year there were a total of 41.5 million free users in the US alone, with ad-supported listening, making it a great way for advertisers to promote their services.
- Roku
The Roku Channel delivers a combination of secondary and original video content. It’s based entirely on an ad-only pricing model. On the other hand, the Roku device can connect users to ad-free subscriptions to other OTT services like Netflix.
Research shows that 64% of Roku Channel users don’t use any other ad-based platform, making it their exclusive way of streaming advertisements.
- Hulu
Hulu is mostly known for airing new TV shows, which are normally released only a few days after their initial launch on traditional TV.
It has a hybrid pricing approach that includes different subscription packages. Pre-recorded material with adverts is included in the cheapest package with live and pre-recorded content with no ads is included in the most expensive plan.
Hulu itself had 41.6 million customers in 2021, with approximately 60% accessing content via an ad-supported subscription. In terms of viewership, Hulu is mostly suburban, rural and lower-income households. It’s also exclusively accessible in both the United States and Japan.
