26
X-PLATFORM
October 2018
Winning the OTT battle with technology
BY JAHEER ABBAS
Today, over-the-top (OTT) provid-
ers — both new market entrants
and established players alike —
have to keep up with the ever-
increasing demands of modern-
day viewers. With viewers today
increasingly watching videos on
their smartphones, one thing is
clear: the user experience is argu-
ably the most significant factor that
determines an OTT player’s success
or failure.
Poor viewing experience:
A recipe for disaster
OTT platforms such as Netflix and
Amazon Prime Video have become
household names in local markets,
expanding their user base through
the quality and diversity of content.
Yet, is a singular focus on content
enough to keep viewers coming
back for more?
With the vast availability of OTT
platforms, as well as streaming op-
tions in the region, viewers now ex-
pect high-quality streaming every
time and will switch to alternative
platforms in the absence of desired
quality, or if there are frequent
interruptions caused by content
latency or rebuffering.
In addition, findings from
Limelight Networks’ recent State
of Digital Lifestyles 2018 report
revealed that the most frustrat-
ing challenge viewers face with
content is when it stops playing
or rebuffers. All it takes for a dis-
satisfied viewer to switch loyalties
is a mere click of the button, leav-
ing OTT platforms at a consider-
able disadvantage to their closest
competitors, if viewers deem their
platforms to have inferior stream-
ing qua