Studies say pay TV operators must integrate OTT

Two analyst firms come to similar conclusions: Pay TV operators must, and will, embrace over-the-top content as part of their mainstream offerings, effectively creating a new business model along the way. “The growth of OTT video services is … opening up new opportunities for pay TV providers and telcos to implement multiscreen business models,” said Pyramid Research Analyst Daniele Tricarico.

That’s certainly the case in the UK. An ABI Research study points to “traditional pay TV operators” like BSkyB – which has a “respectable penetration” of nearly 26 per cent of its total customer base using multiscreen – Virgin, with a new TiVo app and YouView as leading the way.