The BroadbandTV Event, co-located with the FTTH Connect, was where Tier two and three providers of fiber broadband internet service came to learn about content. I was privileged enough to moderate a panel on the Evolution of OTT with Robert Saunders (President & co-founder of Skitter TV), Chris Lavin (CTO of ONE CONNXT), and Chris Beatson (CTO of NeoNova Networks).

Millennials are always brought up in any discussion about over-the-top video services, and BroadbandTV was no exception. Do Millennials even watch TV? According to Parks Associate research, Millennials, without a doubt, do watch an enormous amount of content on mobile devices. However, they watch much less video on their televisions that their elders. It doesn't mean they don't ever watch linear television, only that  they prefer time shifting. Young people today are simply following in the footsteps of pioneering technology such as the home VCR, requiring that their content be available to them on their terms, rather than anchored to a schedule. 

So the larger question becomes: Do we offer TV service? Do we shut down our TV service? The answers to all of these turned out to be “Kinda?”.  It is too early in the emergence of OTT video to cut ties with linear all together, but it is much too late in the game to do nothing at all. Two main strategies for finding this important middle ground both provide value-added services to broadband connections. The panelist suggested broadband providers partner with either an existing OTT video service or a white-label OTT video platform to deliver local channels. Much of tier two and three broadband providers serve rural communities where television reception can be unreliable, and currently, no other OTT video service is providing location stations outside of select major cities. Over-the-top access to local broadcasts the rural American version of the skinny bundle.

The OTT Video Market Tracker features a new way to blend company profiles with industry research data and analysis of competing players’ strengths and weaknesses in the space.

OTT Video and TV Everywhere: The rise of over-the-top (OTT) video services has reshaped consumer habits and the competitive landscape for the video industry. This report examines the ongoing evolution of OTT video services, pay-TV services, and the video content ecosystem. In addition to global trends, success factors, and inhibitors, this report also assesses the future for the industry.

TV Everywhere and the New World of OTT: The OTT video services marketplace continues its rapid rate of change, impacting the video ecosystem across world markets. Players throughout the industry are actively working to define their role and stake their claim in the new world of OTT. This report examines trends in OTT video services and TV Everywhere, including operator moves, new entrants, content implications, viewer behaviors, and consumer spending.