In old times, people could consume entertainment through television only in their homes. Everyone was seated on the TV, watching the same films or television shows. Since the advent of the internet, viewers can now enjoy their favorite content on their own and at any time. Video content creators took advantage of this opportunity, resulting in OTT platforms and numerous OTT services. With more than 1 billion video viewers worldwide, OTT apps’ global revenues are expected to hit £176.51 billion in 2026. In the UK, revenue in the OTT Video market is projected to rise to £15.72 billion in 2029. It’s no wonder why businesses are investing more in custom OTT platform development.
Today, in the digital age, OTT has completely changed how we consume entertainment. From watching our favorite shows on the go to watching live sports events, OTT apps have become an integral component of the entertainment scene. If you’re considering entering this growing market, you’re in the right spot.
There’s plenty to learn about OTT apps, from understanding the competitive landscape and the market to deciding on the best technology stack and even monetising your application. In this blog, we’ll examine what is required to create a profitable OTT application and break down the cost, features and much more.
What Is An OTT App Development?
OTT application development means creating applications that stream audio, video, and multimedia to viewers via the internet and bypass traditional satellite and cable platforms. This type of development focuses on creating seamless streaming experiences on various devices, such as tablets, smartphones, smart TVs and internet browsers.
The goal behind OTT application development is to create easy-to-use platforms that enable users to access a range of media, including movies or television shows, live shows, documentaries and other events in real-time. OTT platforms provide consumers with the direct-to-consumer approach, which allows the streaming of high-quality media without the need for traditional service services. You might be thinking about creating an OTT application. Then, you’ll develop an application that lets users discover and experience a variety of media based on their preferences and enjoy the versatility and ease of OTT technology.
Reasons To Invest In OTT App Development
Online video streaming has recently become integral to many people’s lives. Approximately 70% of Gen Z audiences watch over three hours of OTT content via their mobiles daily. If this is the case, using an OTT application can allow you to improve your customer reach and promote your products more effectively.
We’ve provided convincing reasons to consider investing in OTT application platform development. Let’s have a look:
Rapid Growth Of Video Content
The consumption of all videos has grown rapidly. It is no longer a hobby; accessing videos to study and gain new abilities is now a common practice. Thanks to its vast array of video content, YouTube has become the most significant provider in this field.
It is said that an average OTT user will spend about 100 minutes viewing OTT content each day. Creating an OTT platform in a constantly growing market can be the best choice. There’s no reason to be concerned about the current OTT bigwigs as users continue to test various platforms based on the content they want to watch and their ease of use.
Helps Increase Conversions
Having brand-name OTT applications on various platforms, including iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon and many more, has many advantages. Apps on these platforms can boost your business’s recognition among potential users while delivering a better browsing experience on the internet.
If your content is appealing to your intended people, then being featured in the app store can assist in getting your name noticed. It can be related to any subject matter: fitness, health or entertainment, education or any other. Users who discover branded apps within the app store are three times more likely to try a free trial than those who browse the internet.
The general rule is that most free trial sign-ups become paying customers. Allowing users to pay with one click within your application will allow them to join your mailing list with less hassle.
Enhanced Consumer Outreach
Over 56% of UK Gen Z have signed up to the OTT platform and downloaded the application on their mobile devices. Why is that? The main reason is that people can easily connect with relatable information designed for their needs. Businesses should focus on what customers want instead of what they wish to offer at all costs.
In contrast to a “hard sell” approach, the OTT approach is based on content marketing, which develops consumers’ interest and then encourages them to take advantage of their products. It assists businesses in establishing the largest number of users to communicate with. Additionally, the OTT mobile app is used on the go and interacting with users is simpler than before.
Extended Revenue Opportunities
Numerous factors, including the pandemic, the growth of the smartphone market and the rise of new technologies such as 5G, have contributed to the development of the OTT application development market across the globe. In light of these, the rise of OTT platforms proved to be an ideal business opportunity to make huge profits.
One of the primary factors behind this is the regular subscription base, which guarantees an ongoing flow of income. This ROI is typically high as the business only has to invest during the beginning phase of creating the platform and maintenance costs are low. In addition, companies could earn money through various channels, like advertising, subscriptions, selling merchandise, etc.
Establish a Lasting Bond With Your Customers
When you publish your website’s content, the people you want to reach might visit them to view them and then leave the page. The possibility of them returning is high, but there is a slim chance of them returning, mainly when similar content is available. This makes it difficult to establish a long-lasting connection to the characters.
If you create an OTT app, you can often interact with users via live chats, push notifications, announcements, events, newsletters and so on, all conducted on the same network. Your daily interactions with your clients are not just a way to increase customer loyalty, but they will also build bonds between your customers. This is among the main advantages of spending money on OTT app development.
Increased Conversion Rates
One of the top reasons to consider investing in OTT application development is that you’re looking to engage with an enormous audience immediately by providing pertinent material. Why do you require an app for this? Or you could publish videos online with the same impact and views, don’t you think?
Most of the time, it’s not. This is because there are millions of engaging videos online that are similar to the ones you have, particularly in the case of specific subject matter. Under these conditions, it is evident that the race to achieve greater engagement and more conversions is at its highest.
But that won’t occur when you design your personal OTT app. You create your content using the most unique and efficient platform. You will be competing with your videos and not from the work of any other creator. Additionally, you’ll receive a distinct audience that is genuinely interested in the content you create, which increases the likelihood of higher levels of engagement from users and conversion rates.
Types Of OTT Apps You Can Develop
OTT application development isn’t solely about establishing the platform for streaming videos. There are a variety of apps that offer a range of features. Market research is necessary in order to develop your OTT application. Study the market to determine the needs of your intended users and select the kind of app that meets their requirements.
Video Streaming Over The Internet: These kinds of apps provide online video streaming. Examples of live video streaming services include Netflix with video-on-demand, including TV shows, movies and even original programming.
Online Messaging: These instant messaging apps allow users to communicate and receive messages online. Telegram, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are just a few of these apps.
Voice Calling: These apps allow users to make audio or video calls via the Internet or cell networks. This is referred to as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Some examples include Skype, FaceTime, Zoom and WhatsApp.
Audio OTT: It permits users to browse and stream music on the internet. Some examples of audio OTT are Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music and Apple Music.
Key Features Of OTT App Development
The growing popularity of OTT applications for mobile media consumption has increased the importance of providing an excellent user experience. Designing OTT apps that have essential functions allows users to connect to and watch their favorite television and movies effortlessly. Below is a listing of the most essential features to boost the functionality of your OTT platform:
User Profile Management
OTT application development must include the possibility of creating a profile for every user. This lets them manage their account, including what content they wish to see, their preferred payment method and suggestions based on their previous experience watching. If you plan to follow this ensure that various screens are accessible on the app and that every user can access their selection of OTT capabilities.
Multiple Account Users
Let your customers establish multiple user accounts. The idea is not necessary, but three to five accounts are optimal. A family or even a group of friends could each have a subscription. However, each of them has a distinct account. Every account will have access to the list of viewers and a list of watchers and suggestions for videos specific to the person they are. If you are subscribed to several subscription plans, add the premium plans.
Smart Recommendations
Video streaming app development must have a robust AI engine that can track viewers’ usage history and user behavior. The AI engine should then be able to analyse the information to make relevant recommendations for videos. Smart recommendations can help bring the most pertinent video content from your massive selection to your customers’ attention.
Quality Of Video And Subtitles
Subtitles should be in various languages (at minimum, the most popular with your targeted viewers) in all your video content. This is helpful to people who enjoy videos translated into other languages. Video content should be provided in various sizes and resolutions and users should be allowed to adjust the quality according to their preferences and watching habits.
Downloadable or Offline Videos
Most users enjoy streaming videos on the push of a key during their commutes. However, an uninterrupted internet connection has been a major issue. That’s why many OTT streaming sites allow users to download videos to watch offline. If their internet connection is steady and reliable, users can download their videos and view them on another occasion without worries about Internet connectivity.
Different Classifications
Different categorising options increase the probability of your material being seen by people who view it. Genre-based categorisation is crucial and required. The most successful OTT platforms provide categorisations according to a particular language’s popularity, trend, age channels, news, videos on the horizon and more.
Set Your Preference
Letting your customers choose their preferences for watching and downloading can greatly benefit streaming online services. It will give everyone high-quality streaming, download speed and location. Make these changes regularly and whenever necessary.
Share Content
The content you post to your site must be accessible via the web, messaging or social media. This will help your business the most. Share functions will enable users to share content with acquaintances and indirectly promote your brand.
Watchlist
Film or show watchlists help you stay in touch with your library of film titles. Making personal watchlists accessible to your OTT applications effectively entices users to keep watching by instilling their enthusiasm for the films.
Mini Video Window
Nowadays, a mini video player is a standard feature on all streaming services. The feature allows users to slow down a video’s playback to a mini-window in which the movie continues to play continuously. Users can browse the rest of the website as the video plays in the tiny window. You can increase the size of the mini window to play the video again or to switch to a new one.
Social Features
Social capabilities like commenting, sharing and rating are crucial to the top OTT apps since they assist in boosting engagement and retention. Users must be able to upload their most loved content to social networks, give ratings to reviews of movies or shows and leave comments.
Rating System
Viewers frequently review reviews and scores when searching for fresh videos to determine the best content. Adding a simple, transparent rating method to your OTT application can help it get noticed by movie enthusiasts and reviewers, increasing its appeal.
OTT App Development Process 2025
For a successful OTT app, designing and implementing it correctly is essential. For a successful OTT application development, follow these steps:
Market Research and Target Audience
Before beginning the OTT process of developing apps, it is essential to undertake deep research. This can help you determine your ideal audience and what they like. In this way, it is easy to identify the people you want to reach and what they are looking to watch, such as movies, documentaries, live events, etc.
It will assist you in creating an OTT application from beginning to finish. It is possible to build various functionalities, create user-specific experiences and address technical problems accordingly.
Set Up Your Project Budget
Numerous factors affect the cost of on-demand video-streaming app development, including your needs for the project. However, the price is heavily dependent on the level of complexity and capabilities of the app. Many factors also impact the budget and overall cost of your OTT platform. There is a chance that you will need to pay for the right-to-use content. In addition, frequent maintenance and upgrades can add to the total cost.
Select a Platform
The next step in developing an appealing OTT app is to choose which type of mobile app you’d like to build. After carefully assessing all aspects, it is essential to determine if you would like to make a native application, a web application, a native app or a multi-platform application that works on multiple devices and platforms.
Suppose you’re unsure about which platform to select and how to go about it. In that case, you may work with the top OTT app development companies in the UK who can assist you in developing an application using an appropriate and efficient mobile app development method.
Define UI/UX Capabilities For Your OTT Platform
The success and failure of the OTT application platform will greatly depend on the quality of your UI UX style. If you have a well-designed mobile application, users can find the information they need. It gives them a smooth user experience and retains them throughout. There are various key elements to consider when creating the best UI UX design, such as the user’s journey map, easy design, responsiveness, accessibility, customisation and more.
Backend Development
The development of backends is essential in creating a practical OTT application. The backend handles every type of upload, data storage, user management and streaming services. This is why it is advised to choose a strong backend system that will help increase the number of users on your platform. To ensure your OTT app’s success, contact an OTT app development company in the UK. They are well-versed in the appropriate design process based on the requirements of your particular project.
Content Management System (CMS)
The next crucial part of the step is to ensure that your CMS will let you easily manage the content. Collaborating with OTT service suppliers to upload and classify the files and then organise the release is essential. In addition, the CMS must have multi-language support.
Testing and Quality Assurance
Testing is among the crucial aspects of the process of OTT app creation. Before you launch your app, you must test it continuously across various platforms. This can help ensure that the OTT platform isn’t prone to issues and will provide an unbeatable user experience. Furthermore, it is essential to use OTT app development services to evaluate the quality of streaming and app performance, security protocols and user interactions.
Launch and Maintenance
Once you’ve completed the test process, you can start your own OTT application platform. Additionally, be sure to collect your users’ feedback, track your app’s performance and be aware of any updates that improve the functionality.
How Much Does It Cost To Build An OTT App Platform?
The cost of creating the cost of developing an OTT application can be wildly different depending on the features you want and features. On average, an entry-level OTT app could cost between £12,000 and £40,000 and a more advanced application with more features can cost as much as £2,30,000 and even more.
The expense of OTT app development is dependent on a myriad of variables, some of them are:
App’s Complexity And Features
An OTT app with many features and capabilities is usually more expensive to develop. Live streaming platform development, personal recommendations or even advanced search capabilities will increase the price compared with a simple application that broadcasts pre-recorded video.
Development Team Hiring Cost
The team’s experience affects the price of creating an OTT application. Experienced developers with a background in OTT application development using advanced technology will likely be more expensive than a team with less experience.
Platform Selected
The platform upon which an OTT application is created could also influence the price. Developing an app for several platforms, including iOS, Android and the web, requires greater work and will result in a greater expense than merely building applications for just one platform.
Integration and Customisation Level
Modifying the user interface or integrating other third-party applications can incur extra development expenses. Payment platforms, advertising networks and analytics tools are only some of the additional costs.
Updates and Maintenance
Regular updates and maintenance are important when estimating the expense of developing an OTT application. The costs associated with creating the development of an OTT app could include the following:
- Resolving bugs
- The new features have been incorporated
- Staying up-to-date with new technologies and platforms
The investment made into OTT application development will yield higher engagement, revenues, and brand recognition.
OTT App Monetisation Strategies
OTT platforms can use several methods to monetise their offerings. In this section, we’ve listed some of the popular monetisation methods that could aid you in making money from the OTT platform.
Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD)
One of the best OTT methods of monetising apps is to provide an option to subscribe to those who are your target users. This way, they can conveniently pay monthly, quarterly or annual costs monthly, quarterly, or even yearly. This way, users also get access to a wide range of media. Netflix and Disney+ use this model to achieve significant growth and success.
Transactional Video on Demand (TVOD)
A popular monetisation method is TVOD, which allows users to purchase individual content they want to stream. This method is best for premium content, such as movies or live shows exclusive to you. Google Play Movies and iTunes are popular models that adhere to this pattern.
Ad-Supported Video on Demand (AVOD)
With the AVOD model, customers can access the content they like most for no cost. However, there is a condition: advertisements will appear before or during content streaming. Undoubtedly, the in-app video advertisements function to monetise your mobile applications. This means that you can cost advertisers according to views or clicks. YouTube is among the most well-known AVOD platforms.
Hybrid Model
To reach an even larger population, many methods of monetisation exist. One example is to offer an ad-free model for free or allow users to purchase ads-free services.
Conclusion
OTT app development allows businesses to get into the digital entertainment industry. If you have the right approach, features and partnership, you could create an OTT streaming platform that attracts people and stands out in a highly competitive marketplace. This OTT market is expanding faster than ever, which means it’s an excellent investment for video content providers and software companies.
By following the steps mentioned in this blog, you can build an OTT app that stands out from the crowd, meets your intended audience’s demand, and propels your company to the next level. You only need an appropriate development team and a well-thought-out plan. The result is an OTT app that everybody can enjoy.
FAQs
What are the reasons for creating an OTT application?
An OTT application will help you connect with a larger audience and provide a more personalised and enjoyable user experience. It also lets you earn revenue from your content through subscriptions, advertisements and pay-per-view models.
What is the time frame for creating an OTT application?
The time needed to create the OTT app depends on its complexity and the team’s experience. An easy OTT application can take about 4 to 6 months to develop; however, a more complicated application could take between 6 months to 1 year or more.
What are the most challenging issues in OTT app development?
Platform fragmentation, content delivery, user experience, security and compliance with laws and guidelines are the biggest issues in OTT app development.
How do you choose between in-house application development or outsourcing the work?
It is dependent on your resources and knowledge. It’s possible to develop an OTT application in-house using an expert team within your company and the required resources. However, outsourcing is practical and cost-effective if you do not have the required skills or resources.
