Feels pretty good to #CutTheCord w/ #OverTheTop Entertainment Online!
So what is OTT (Over The Top) video content? Well just last week we interviewedTikiLive a company specializing in the delivery of OTT. TikiLive is not only delivering OTT content over the Internet but they also provide a CDN (Content Delivery Network) service helping broadcasters deliver over the top content around the world in linear channel format just like traditional television! Tom Zajac, TikiLive’s VP of Quality broke down the companies interesting approach to delivering TV over the internet and how they can deliver television packages starting at just $1.99 per month!
Companies are betting on OTT Content!
One of the best example customers we mentioned during our live show was Grant Cardone (Click here to see his TikiLive Channel). Cardone already operates his own studio, he has contracts in place for advertising and he sells his own books and training courses. Cardone is just one of many organizations who investing heavily in creating video content and reaping the scalable benefits of internet broadcasting. When Jon Steinberg, the CEO of Cheddar, (and one of our customers) was asked publicly “What do you think the future of broadcasting is?” he answered “There are a lot of incredible experiments going on with places like Cheddar.” His colleague added “I think it is Over the Top (content) and people want skinny bundles… they do not want over priced cable systems.”
Cutting the Cord on Cable
Zajac explains in our interview “TikiLive was actually started in 2008 when we were first calling the service ‘The Next Generation of Live Broadcasting’”. Today TikiLive offers free and premium television content from channels such as: Bloomberg, CNN, MSNBC, QVC and many more. “We are offering a cable TV alternative in a OTT line up. We have 60 tier one traditionally cable TV only channels that we will selling for a fraction of the price” Zajac continued. TikiLive already offers several online TV packages starting at just $1.99 and they announcing new channels every month!
Learn how to produce your own OTT content!
Interested in producing your own live show and/or OTT content? Check out our UDEMY courses for behind the scenes instructions on how we set up our live shows! Request a free course coupon here: http://ptzoptics.com/landing/coupons.html
Monetizing Live on On-Demand Content
What I find interesting about TikiLive is how they blend the world of live streaming and on-demand video content making them both available through a “linear channel” like you see on traditional Cable TV. Unlike free CDN’s such as YouTube andFacebook, TikiLive allows users to monetize their content. Channel managers can organize their own 24/7 linear video channel which they can interrupt with live video content anytime (The way real television networks are run). Zajac mentions that there are three main ways customers are monetizing their content today:
1. Advertisement Management (Pre-Roll, Mid-Roll, Post-Roll or In-Line Advertising inside a linear channel similar to a commercial break)
2. Simply Charging for access to content (Live, On-Demand or Subscription based payments)
3. Syndication (Charging for your channel through additional affiliated television networks).
Enterprise Level Middleware
“Enterprise Middleware” was a new term for me, but it makes sense in the “cloud based” software as a service (SaaS) world that we live in. TikiLive’s enterprise middleware is a software platform that allows producers to manage an entire television network from a web-browser. Pair this technology with today’s latest live streaming and video production technology… it’s a homerun! We are going to see more and more start up Internet television shows and entire network providers popping up all over the world!
Imagine a world where YouTube stars come together to host their television network. Finally they can control branding, their own subscription fees and advertisements (a major drawback to YouTube). During the live show our chat room was full of viewers already asking questions about how anyone from Universities to local sports organizations could start hosting their own branded television networks and monetize their efforts.
Our Live Show:
Check out our live interview with TikiLive (20 Minutes) and stick around for the post show (below) to learn even more! If you are a company involved in the live streaming or broadcast market contact me to be on our show at Paul.richards@ptzoptics.com
Enjoy!