OTT refers to content from a third party that is delivered to an end-user, with the ISP simply transporting IP packets. OTT content is delivered via the public Internet instead of a closed, private network system that uses exclusive equipment like set-top boxes, or through IPTV services (such as U-verse TV).
OTT television signals are received over the Internet or through a cell phone network, as opposed to receiving television signals from terrestrial broadcasters, cable networks, or via satellite transmission. The video distributor controls access through an app, a separate OTT dongle, or a box connected to a phone, PC, or smart television set. By mid-2017, 58 percent of US households accessed one OTT service in a given month through a streaming device, game console, or Smart TV; with 84 per cent of advertising revenues originating from OTT channels, exceeding revenues from videos playing in web browsers on desktops and laptops.
In 2019, the record of simultaneous users watching an OTT event was set at 18.6 million in India by Disney Entertainment's video streaming platform Hotstar. This was surpassed in 2023 with 59 million concurrent viewers on Disney+ Hotstar. In 2025, the record was broken again with 61.2 million viewers on JioHotstar.
In 2023, the viewing of TV content on streaming platforms represented 38% of global television consumption with 1.8 billion subscriptions to OTT platforms. In 2024, OTT TV became the most popular content in the US. By 2025, it had surpassed cable and network television viewing.
The results of a 2018 in-house data analysis of their subscribers by Uscreen (a membership platform for video creators and entrepreneurs) reported that 45% used iOS and Android mobile devices to access their OTT content, while 39% used web browsers for streaming.
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