People are currently consuming a far larger quantity of content on over-the-top (OTT) platforms than they were prior to doing so in the post-Covid period. This is the case since OTT platforms are becoming increasingly popular. The major Hollywood studios are developing original content that is created expressly for the watching pleasure of OTT subscribers and users. This content is being customised exclusively for the viewing pleasure of OTT subscribers and users. According to a survey that was published by Digital TV Research, the revenue generated by over-the-top (OTT) services in North America reached USD 49 billion in the year 2020. It is projected that this number would rise to USD 94 billion by the year 2026. [1] However, the dramatic increase in viewership and revenue brings with it the risk of revenue loss due to piracy, ineffective subscription management, shared passwords, the failure to optimise for device fragmentation, and unauthorised users making use of premium services. These factors can all contribute to a loss of revenue.
The great majority of OTT applications, such as Google’s Widevine, implement some kind of DRM-protected content to detect and prevent instances of content piracy. Even though controlling piracy through file encryption is a well-established practise in the video-streaming industry and using a multi-DRM SaaS to manage video assets is a well-established practise in this industry, it is important to emphasise that DRM-protected content has more benefits than simply controlling piracy. This point should be emphasised despite the fact that both of these practises are well-established practises in the industry. Digital rights management (DRM) technology enables over-the-top (OTT) systems to govern more fine-grained aspects of user management for individual video assets. This is in contrast to IPTV, which only makes channel-level DRM schemes available. IPTV only makes DRM schemes available. A video stream can now be received in the form of live broadcasts, files that can be downloaded, or video that can be seen anytime the user chooses to do so.
A platform that offers content by means of over-the-top (OTT) services may also give subscribers with the opportunity to subscribe to material on the basis of the genre of the content that is being supplied. OTT platforms are also aware of the processor-level protection provided by DRM technology providers, particularly Google. Google’s Widevine DRM technology enables the app to play UHD files while maintaining adequate control against piracy. OTT platforms are also aware of the DRM technology providers’ ability to protect against piracy. It enables over-the-top (OTT) platforms to maximise income streams by allowing them to sell their most lucrative plans on Android-based mobile devices and smart TVs, which in turn makes it possible for these platforms to maximise revenue.
Over-the-top (OTT) providers have, in recent years, started giving viewers the opportunity to pay for a membership to a pay-per-view service, which requires them to pay a monthly fee. When it comes to major international sporting or entertainment-related events, such as the Oscars or the Grammys, the World Cup of Soccer, etc., users prefer to sign up only for the event on the OTT platform that has obtained its broadcasting rights. This feature becomes popular just before these events. Take, for instance, the Academy Awards or the Grammys. The Digital Rights Management (DRM) system, with its capabilities for managing users across many devices, has the capacity to limit user access to video streams specifically for the purpose of the event in issue.
The widespread use of over-the-top (OTT) services has led to a significant reduction in the frequency with which consumers buy digital copies of movies, documentaries, television shows, and other types of media, which was a typical practise in the past. Despite this, there is still a substantial population that favours the option of downloading digital videos and storing their own versions on their personal devices rather than renting or purchasing them. Traditional retailers often do not place restrictions on their customers’ ability to download purchased movies, even after the customers have paid for the movies. Over-the-top (OTT) services operate in a manner that is analogous to the aforementioned and also let users to download videos for offline viewing. This enables users to watch videos on any device of their choosing so long as their subscription remains active. The digital rights management technology (DRM) can be used to provide protection for all of these video downloads, provided that the encryption keys are validated by the DRM server. Authorized users can make use of this protection.
It is possible to arrive at the conclusion that digital rights management (DRM) technology makes it possible for over-the-top (OTT) platforms and traditional platforms to maximise their respective income streams by combining the benefits of cloud-based streaming and offline playbacks for premium content. This is something that can be done by combining the advantages of cloud-based streaming and offline playbacks for premium content.