The growing popularity of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) for programmable television content is a strategic platform for content producers and broadcasting businesses are given the current dynamics of the global entertainment industry. One of the steadily growing online entertainment segments, IPTV is expected to reach high revenue growth of about $115.2 billion by 2025, from the 2020-reported $72.24 billion.
Lately, IPTV platform are growing in size and revenue by adding advanced features.
Understanding IPTV Apps
IPTV/Over-the-top (OTT) apps stream videos to multiple devices, accessed by personal user accounts. IPTV Apps are empty shells that need user input or additions like playlists, channels, and other sources to stream content. Third-party provider content like Hulu or Netflix needs an additional component called M3U file, available from “white label” solutions to stream on the IPTV app.
Two Reasons why IPTV/OTT apps are good for IPTV businesses
IPTV businesses find that including OTT app features in their current services leads to an increase in size and revenue. This was due to the following two reasons:
- Lowers the rate of subscriber cancellations – One of the key issues for IPTV viewers to cancel their service is the lack of time to view the content and the hardship of having to use PCs, desktops, or laptops every time they want to stream videos.
IPTV/OTT apps are the right solution here as they allow users to consume content where they want and when they want on multiple devices.
This simplified and easy access to entertainment on hand makes it convenient for viewers and lowers the rate of cancellation by subscribers.
- Increase number of viewers due to enhanced user experience – subscribers find the viewing experience on IPTV/OTT apps is more enhanced leading to longer time being spent on the platform. It also opened avenues for viewers to find favorite content easily, leading to a significant increase in the number of users.
For example, the Disney TV channel added new OTT apps, Disney+, ESPN +, and Discovery launched Discovery Plus.
Similarly, content creators, small businesses see great opportunities in launching OTT apps to deliver their services. Businesses using IPTV apps/OTT apps disrupt older billing models of users paying satellite companies for content, allowing users to view content on-demand using subscription-based models.
Critical features that IPTV Apps should have
IPTV apps are convenient as they give users flexibility, uniformity, and convenience while content creators directly access and engage this audience.
The critical features IPTV apps should contain are:
- On boarding the App is simple
Moving the components to the app platform should be simplified and the most important part of IPTV/OTT app development
- User Interface is easy to use
It is important that the subscriber can understand the layout of the interface and use it intuitively. The registration process should be simple but include profile creation as well as verification.
- Search Feature
As the volume of content available on the app is large, IPTV/OTT apps must include a search feature. This will help customers to add to the list and stream when they wish.
- Push Notifications
Notifications help in engaging the user, as they will provide information about new plans, new program launches, and other details that would keep the user on the app.
- Multilingual Content
The variety of content is immense on IPTV/OTT Apps and sub-titles will help in attracting other language audiences and engaging them in newer story-telling techniques.
How to Create and Launch an IPTV App
High-quality, enriched data transmission-based television program viewing over signals-based cable TV/satellite transmission is driving the popularity of IPTV. Internet video advertising has also increased because viewers prefer “time-shifted media,” “live streaming,” “video-on-demand.” Therefore, when you choose to launch your own IPTV app, these factors have to be included.
The process for developing OTT apps can be simplified by choosing to either hire an app developer or rent the services of an IPTV/OTT app with white-label solutions.
- Hiring an app developer: This is an expensive process and will be defined by the abilities and limitations of the developer and the time taken. The ability to customize the app for your specifications is also a challenge. The time involved in developing the tasks is also challenging. Costs are therefore high ranging at $20,000 per app, apart from operating expenses.
- White label IPTV/OTT app rental: The efficient and cost-effective way to create the IPTV/OTT app. By renting the services of a white-label solution provider, OTT apps can be made available on multiple devices. The advantages are plenty as the cost, the time needed for integration is lesser. Secondly, as a business, you can brand as per your needs. Thirdly, software development full support will be available for the entire lease period.
Why IPTV apps are good for your business
Many feature-rich white-label IPTV solutions are easily available, at different prices, for content-producing businesses and broadcasting businesses to choose from for customized IPTV/OTT app renting and successful launches. Some popular white-label solutions offers over 120 features, monetization plans with in-built revenue models like SVOD, PVOD, advanced encryption, DRM protection, HLS, MPEG-Dash support, CDN, multi-screen support, and several add-on features.
