OTT TV – A Blessing or a Burden?

Aggregator services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video (aka LOVEFiLM) and Now TV offer access to vast amounts of TV and film content. But for some, this plethora of programming may be more of a burden than a blessing.

With the exception of a few ‘flagship’ shows, it can be pretty tricky to identify what programming is available and on which platform. How will I find that programme/series I’ve been desperate to watch? Which of the OTT services should I turn to?

There isn’t a standardised way for me to wade through the thousands of hours of great TV and film content available or indeed a great big directory that can help me navigate the content which is technically at my fingertips. Granted all the OTT services offer a helping hand when it comes to ‘content discovery’, but to varying degrees of effectiveness. Yes, I could do a search through each of the services, but surely there’s got to be a more time efficient and consumer friendly way of finding what I want. Or is there? And when I’ve found the show I’m looking for, how will I know if I’ll be able to watch every series? And how long will I have to get through every episode before the relevant content rights deal runs its term or some new platform exclusivity deal kicks in? Questions, questions, so many questions.

Now you may think that I’m being incredibly ungrateful. I mean, the reality is that we’re spoiled for choice! We’ve never had it so good when it comes to TV on demand. Netflix, Amazon and Now TV are household names and sit comfortably alongside on demand services offered by broadcasters, such as Channel 4’s 4OD or the BBC’s iPlayer, which hit a record 96 million unique users and generated an all-time high of 1.3 billion page views in March 2014. And with a number of new OTT services on the horizon – for example Microsoft, Sony and Verizon – this choice is only going to get even bigger and better.

But is this a good thing for the consumer?

On the face of it, yes, of course it is. Loads of content, reasonably budget friendly. Just add broadband and you’re away. What more could you ask for?

Well, not a number of ‘walled gardens’ that’s for sure. And my fear is that’s exactly where we’re heading. We have a number of services at our fingertips (great) but with little or no clear distinction to set each service apart (not great) let alone a clear distinction between the kind of shows or films that each service offers (also not great). This can make for a frustrating user experience. Yes, these services are very competitively priced but are we actually looking at a bit of a false economy? Surely the numbers won’t stack up for Joe or Josephine Bloggs if we have to subscribe to several different services to get access to what we really want to watch – especially if these prices start to creep up bit by bit a la Netflix.

Some people may feel limited by the amount and type of content that’s available through traditional TV platforms and yes, there’s an argument in favour of serendipity, of binge viewing; but I wonder if OTT users are starting to miss the effortlessness and anticipation of scheduled content? Distinctive channel brands offering carefully curated and clearly signposted content means I nearly always know where to find the programme I want to watch if it’s on linear TV. I can plan my time appropriately – whether that’s to make sure I tune in live or hit record and catch up later. So to me, all this talk about the ‘death of linear TV’ is quite the misconception. There’s definitely life in the old dog yet.

It is great to see how quickly and successfully the OTT TV industry is growing; it really is a brilliant complement to linear TV. We viewers are just spoiled for choice – we just need to know where to look! OTT services are clearly highly valued and loved by consumers but as more players enter the market and more content becomes available, it will become increasingly important for aggregators (in particular) to improve the customer experience. By offering curated content and clearer information on availability of programmes and films, these providers could make their services even more compelling and valuable and safeguard their place on the future TV landscape for years to come.

Stella Medlicott, Chief Marketing Officer.