Research from business-to-consumer subscription management solutions provider Vindicia has revealed found that premium OTT subscription revenue will continue to rise quickly across all regions and that growth will be fuelled by local, live and linear content, as well as by easier payment solutions.
The survey, The Global Prospects for Premium OTT, conducted by MTM, explored the prospects and development of premium OTT services across four regions: Western Europe, USA, Latin America and Asia Pacific.
In the former territory, the survey predicted that premium OTT will grow strongly in the next three years, as connected consumers embrace not only services from global OTT players, but also new subscription services from local and regional broadcasters, and direct-to-consumer services from content brands. The UK is set to remain the largest market for premium OTT in Western Europe, with revenues forecast to rise from $1.18 billion in 2017 to $1.63 billion by 2020.
Similarly, US premium OTT subscription revenues are also forecasted to surge, growing from $16.4 billion in 2017 to past $21.2 billion in two years’ time. While Netflix, Amazon and Hulu are set to maintain their grip on the online video market, Vindicia expects direct-to-consumer offerings from the likes of Disney, specialist services such as Crunchyroll and WWE, and live sports delivered via OTT to also flourish.
Revenues from premium OTT services in Asia Pacific are projected to grow rapidly, albeit from a low base in some cases. Thailand, for instance, was found to likely see revenues rise from $66 million in 2017 to $108 million in 2020, while Indonesia will expand from US$26 million to US$72 million in the same period. The market for premium OTT services in Asia Pacific will be driven by pan-regional players — such as HOOQ, Viu and iflix — that focus on local content and are priced for local audiences. The premium OTT market in Australia is one of the largest in the Asia Pacific region and is set to show continue to see considerable growth, with revenues reaching US$420 million by 2020, up from $280 million in 2017, the study found. Netflix will be the dominant subscription service in Australia for the foreseeable future.
In Latin America, improved broadband connectivity is driving growth in premium OTT subscriptions, where local content offerings are bundled with internet access. However, greater connectivity is also encouraging content piracy. Mexico will become the largest market in Latin America for premium OTT services by 2020, with revenues forecast to reach $678 million, up from $410 million in 2017, according to the report.
“As revenues for premium OTT services increase in all regions and the global players continue to dominate, a common thread to this research is that consumers will nevertheless choose to subscribe to niche content when the price and the experience are right,” said Head of Vindicia Kris Nagel “As part of that experience, consumers will demand frictionless payment solutions. Premium OTT services that offer local, live and linear content, and that can also seamlessly integrate with payment platforms to make payments almost invisible to the user, can expect strong subscription growth going forward.”
“The demand for high-quality paid-for video services delivered via OTT is growing in all regions of the world,” added Nick Thomas, Associate Director at MTM and author of The Prospects for Premium OTT report. “While it is important to understand local and regional trends, industry executives in all markets now recognise that exclusive content, appropriate pricing and seamless payment solutions are all key to acquiring new subscribers.”
In the former territory, the survey predicted that premium OTT will grow strongly in the next three years, as connected consumers embrace not only services from global OTT players, but also new subscription services from local and regional broadcasters, and direct-to-consumer services from content brands. The UK is set to remain the largest market for premium OTT in Western Europe, with revenues forecast to rise from $1.18 billion in 2017 to $1.63 billion by 2020.
Similarly, US premium OTT subscription revenues are also forecasted to surge, growing from $16.4 billion in 2017 to past $21.2 billion in two years’ time. While Netflix, Amazon and Hulu are set to maintain their grip on the online video market, Vindicia expects direct-to-consumer offerings from the likes of Disney, specialist services such as Crunchyroll and WWE, and live sports delivered via OTT to also flourish.
Revenues from premium OTT services in Asia Pacific are projected to grow rapidly, albeit from a low base in some cases. Thailand, for instance, was found to likely see revenues rise from $66 million in 2017 to $108 million in 2020, while Indonesia will expand from US$26 million to US$72 million in the same period. The market for premium OTT services in Asia Pacific will be driven by pan-regional players — such as HOOQ, Viu and iflix — that focus on local content and are priced for local audiences. The premium OTT market in Australia is one of the largest in the Asia Pacific region and is set to show continue to see considerable growth, with revenues reaching US$420 million by 2020, up from $280 million in 2017, the study found. Netflix will be the dominant subscription service in Australia for the foreseeable future.
In Latin America, improved broadband connectivity is driving growth in premium OTT subscriptions, where local content offerings are bundled with internet access. However, greater connectivity is also encouraging content piracy. Mexico will become the largest market in Latin America for premium OTT services by 2020, with revenues forecast to reach $678 million, up from $410 million in 2017, according to the report.
“As revenues for premium OTT services increase in all regions and the global players continue to dominate, a common thread to this research is that consumers will nevertheless choose to subscribe to niche content when the price and the experience are right,” said Head of Vindicia Kris Nagel “As part of that experience, consumers will demand frictionless payment solutions. Premium OTT services that offer local, live and linear content, and that can also seamlessly integrate with payment platforms to make payments almost invisible to the user, can expect strong subscription growth going forward.”
“The demand for high-quality paid-for video services delivered via OTT is growing in all regions of the world,” added Nick Thomas, Associate Director at MTM and author of The Prospects for Premium OTT report. “While it is important to understand local and regional trends, industry executives in all markets now recognise that exclusive content, appropriate pricing and seamless payment solutions are all key to acquiring new subscribers.”
