What Is an OTT Platform? (Plain-English Explanation)

You have seen the acronym everywhere: OTT — "over the top" — originally meant content delivered over the top of traditional cable/broadcast infrastructure, i.e. straight through your internet connection.

OTT vs Traditional TV

	Traditional TV	OTT platform
Schedule	Fixed time slots	On demand
Device	Set-top box	Any connected screen
Payment	Bundle contract	Monthly, cancel anytime
Discovery	TV guide	Search + recommendations

Types of OTT Services

• SVOD (subscription): pay monthly, watch unlimited.
• AVOD (ad-supported): free, funded by commercials.
• TVOD (transactional): rent or buy single titles.

Why OTT Won

Two reasons: control (pause, resume, choose) and portability (the same library on phone, laptop and TV). Cable could offer neither.

OTT in Practice

Every browser platform is OTT — including Nexfix, which streams movies and series straight to any browser with no app installation. Browse the movies or series sections to see OTT behaviour at its simplest: click, watch, resume anywhere.