Over-the-top media service
An over-the-top media service (also known as OTT and over-the-top television) is a digital distribution service of video and accompanying audio delivered directly to viewers via the public Internet, rather than through over-the-air, cable, and satellite television service, or Internet Protocol television (IPTV) provider. The term is synonymous with streaming platform.
Video OTT services may be subscription-based (SVOD) or free (FAST), and are typically accessed via television sets with integrated Smart TV platforms, digital media players such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku, video game consoles, websites on personal computers, and apps on smartphones and tablets.
OTT bypasses broadcast, cable, and satellite transmissions—the system through which companies have traditionally acted as controllers or distributors of television content. This content may include shows and movies for which the OTT acquired licensed rights from the content owner. Programming may also include original content produced by the service or specifically for it. By financing and producing their own original episodic series and films, and providing unscripted programs, live sports and events, many OTT services, such as Netflix, operate as modern counterparts to television networks.
OTT service includes streaming services such as Disney+ and Prime Video which offer subscription-based film and television content (SVOD), or free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) such as Pluto TV and Tubi. OTT services also include a range of "skinny" television packages by streaming platforms, such as Sling TV and Hulu with Live TV, that provide live streams of specialty channels.
OTT TV, commonly called streaming television, constituted 38% of global television viewing in 2023. OTT service became the most popular method for watching television in the United States in 2025.
Streaming platforms are also the primary method for the delivery of radio, music, podcasts, and audiobooks over the Internet, known as audio streaming. Audio streaming is provided through streaming services such as BBC Sounds, Spotify, and Pandora.