Watch Out For These 5 Over The Top Streaming Trends in 2021

The OTT industry is proliferating at an unprecedented rate. While the past year has indubitably been a wild ride, most of us are incessantly bent on leaving 2020 in the dust. The streaming media landscape is projecting both fragmented and consolidated predictions for a new era of direct-to-consumer streaming, as new players signal to emerge in the competitive sphere.

As the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns constricted our lives, it has also catapulted us five years forward in the global adoption of businesses and online consumers. The neoteric emergence of digital trends has repurposed the OTT use cases while keeping Zoom calls, telemedicine, and user-generated content at the forefront. 

In this article, we will explore 5 Over-The-Top video streaming trends in 2021. Let’s begin.

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Pushes Forward

Last year disseminated both the actual and predictable aspects of AI in the sphere of media, with Google’s and Facebook’s algorithms sending shockwaves for regulations. However, as a frequent contender on the streaming trends lists in the past few years, artificial intelligence will continue to secure prominence in 2021. AI and ML counterintuitively nurtured an appreciation for user-generated content (UGC) and as a result, media companies began strictly focusing on UGC’s power on the mobile platforms. 

These are the following predictions and developments for AI and ML in OTT:

• Automated translation and captioning
• Automated content-aware encoding
• Core product features for live streams
• Automated metadata extraction
• Context-aware advertising
• Object/ motion detection and notification

• 5G Will Be Changing The Game

In terms of Top OTT video streaming trends in 2021, we envisage witnessing 5G internet becoming a staple standard, especially in the urban areas. This future-focused and next-gen cellular network technology will offer more reliable and much faster internet speeds. 5G is expected to be 100x faster than the existing 4G LTE networks. 

OTT video streaming will be 5G’s killer apps and gains will be more noticeable in the video streaming landscape in the coming months. 5G will also be an elixir for live events and sports streaming solutions when low latency is critical for apparent gains.

For instance, research suggests that 29% of users would pay an added premium if 5G decreased buffering and provided a high-quality video on mobile devices. 

Also Read: Understanding All About OTT App Development

• CTV will Mark its High Popularity

CTV or Connected TV refers to streaming on televisions through OTT video development services. This has gained both name and fame over the years as viewers have commenced absorbing more content on TVs as opposed to mobile devices. The entire streaming journey has been made possible by gaming consoles, smart TVs, and dedicated streaming channels. 

However, it is interesting to note that the rise in CTV streaming has not caused any significant decline in the number of streaming on tablets, computers, or smartphones. There were also some general preferences for mobile app video streaming, so it will be exciting to see how this trend shapes going forward. Some of the famous technology for CTV includes Roku, Amazon Firestick, Play Station, Apple TV, Nintendo Switch, and the Xbox.

• The Adoption of Live Commerce & Shoppable Media

Live commerce is a term used to define the combination of eCommerce and streaming video. While shoppable media and live commerce have been the most sought-after monetization method for a myriad of brands, the brick-and-mortar stores will undoubtedly utilize it in 2021.

As businesses seek to reach online customers, social commerce, live streams, shoppable ad formats, and virtual consultations will be the fastest-growing advertising categories. For the record, live stream-generated sales are anticipated to double to a massive $120 billion worldwide this year. 

• Smarter about Security

With technology providers continuing to innovate and construct new ways to empower organizations against online safety threats, the security industry is ablaze with the latest trends and techniques. This is no different for OTT streaming solutions as the businesses continue to grow and add more users to signup for these services. Protecting and safeguarding content becomes more crucial than ever as use cases grow and privacy concerns continue to increase. At Oodles Technologies, we predict the following advances in the content-encryption and online security this year.

• Expansion of video streaming and security adoption
• Encryption at all levels to secure monetization
• Cloud security will become the most sought-after security standard

Summing Up

OTT is colossal and the industry continues to snowball rapidly. This year is foreseen to be a strong timeline for UGC, with opportunities for higher quality content for multiple platforms gaining traction. When it comes to the upcoming OTT trends, we are seeing an increase in formats such as CMAF which has the capability to shake things up further.

If you wish to learn more about OTT and online video streaming solutions, you can follow us here. For more information on OTT app development services, feel free to talk to our experts.