TITLE:
A Study on Over-the-Top (OTT) Video Streaming Platforms in Bangladesh
AUTHORS:
S. M. Imran Hossain
KEYWORDS:
OTT Video Streaming, Viewership Pattern, Medium, Entertainment
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Journalism and Communication,
Vol.10 No.3,
September
30,
2022
ABSTRACT: This paper aims to identify the opportunities and challenges of over-the-top (OTT) video streaming platforms in Bangladesh. Furthermore, the study aims to reveal the viewership patterns of Bangladeshi consumers regarding different OTT platforms, such as Netflix, Chorki, Hoichoi, and Prime Video. The popularity of over-the-top (OTT) video streaming is on the rise worldwide. Bangladesh is becoming an emerging field of business in the global OTT market due to the proliferation and rapid development of internet services and smartphones. No academic research has been conducted on this rapidly emerging form of entertainment in Bangladesh, in contrast to mainstream entertainment sources such as satellite television and film. It aims to uncover the current state of this new medium, its prospects, and its regulatory challenges. This study is the first to examine the current scenario of over-the-top (OTT) video streaming platforms in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi viewers’ preferences and prospects for OTT platforms are assessed in this study. Investigating consumption patterns and the central tendency regarding OTT content and media was conducted in Bangladesh. Using the convenience sampling technique, an online survey collected feedback from 100 respondents (N = 100). A majority of OTT subscribers (67%) agree that OTT is their primary source of entertainment. Additionally, 69% of OTT subscribers in Bangladesh believe the future of OTT video streaming is bright. Watching OTT video streaming content is most popular on smartphones. Therefore, 66 percent of OTT users want to continue their subscriptions. According to this study, Netflix is the viewers’ most popular OTT video streaming service.