There was a time when OTT brought to mind established platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. But as pandemic-driven restrictions forced people to stay indoors, there was a noticeable change in their viewing habits.
That, in turn, motivated new players, including regional OTT platforms, to take the market by storm.
The best part about the OTT revolution is that it breaks geographic barriers across countries and continents. The popularity of foreign language shows like Money Heist (Spanish) and Dark (German) on Netflix highlights OTT’s global reach.
So, if you’re launching a new streaming platform, it’s only natural that you’d want to expand your audience beyond the U.S.
Expanding Your OTT Audience: The Possibilities
Launching a regional OTT platform or publishing regional content on your app helps you target a global audience.
If you’re wondering whether it’s worth the effort, here’s are a few eye-opening statistics for you from an emerging OTT market:
- The size of India’s OTT market will reach $2.9 billion by 2024.
- More than a quarter of the Indian population uses OTT platforms.
- There are more than 96 million active paid OTT subscriptions in India.
Image via BusinessToday
Additionally, recent studies have revealed that 90% of video consumption in India happens in regional languages.
These insights indicate that the Indian OTT market will continue witnessing exponential growth. Similarly, other countries in Asia and Europe are also experiencing a rising demand for high-quality OTT content.
If you restrict your platform to content that’s centered around the U.S., you’ll be missing out on several revenue generation opportunities.
The Rise of Regional Video Consumption
OTT giants, including Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video, have realized the importance of catering to regional audience segments.
In India, these platforms are amping up budgets to produce high-quality movies and web shows in Hindi. What’s more, Netflix is targeting other Asian markets with the production of shows like Squid Game (South Korea).
Besides, along with the growing demand for regional content, there’s also been a rise in the number of regional OTT platforms. These platforms publish content in a specific regional language, thus catering to a niche audience.
The popularity of regional OTT platforms and content can be attributed to improved internet penetration. Access to streaming platforms is no longer restricted to viewers in Tier 1 cities. People in Tier 2/Tier 3 cities and rural areas own smartphones and enjoy internet connectivity. That, in turn, has expanded the market of OTT apps beyond urban metropolises.
And to connect with this massive audience, it’s important to create content and an app experience that resonates with them.
As smartphones become more affordable and internet penetration improves further, new OTT markets will emerge in developing countries. Tapping these markets at the right time will help maximize your revenue.
How to Target Viewers Outside the U.S.
So, you’ve realized that expanding your audience to other regions will help you harness new revenue opportunities.
But what’s the best way to grow your presence there?
Here are a few valuable tips to help you get started:
Prioritize Regional Content
With leading OTT platforms breaking into regional markets, it’s crucial that you publish high-quality local content on your app to reach a regional audience.
Understand the preferences and pain points of audiences in different regions to produce content that’ll resonate with them. Additionally, you should consider purchasing distribution rights to popular regional films and shows.
Use Geoblocking
While showcasing regional content is vital for your OTT platform, you also need to retain its global appeal.
Geoblocking helps you accomplish that by restricting content access to specific regions. For instance, you can use geoblocking to ensure that the content of a particular language is only available to viewers in that region.
Ensure Multi-Lingual Support
It involves providing subtitles and audio files in multiple languages for popular content. It’ll ensure that people in foreign countries can continue to enjoy English-language content on your platform.
Additionally, you can use a platform like Zype to create a multi-lingual app experience. That means automatically changing the display and menu language according to a user’s location. This added personalization can go a long way in helping you seamlessly onboard new users from different regions.
Take Your OTT Platform to New Frontiers
The benefit of launching an OTT platform is that you can target a global audience. It skyrockets your subscriber base and revenue potential. Additionally, it gives your platform a chance to operate at a global scale without being restricted by borders.
And if you’re looking to create custom OTT apps and generate revenue from your content, learn more about various monetization models you can leverage with Zype Apps Creator.