You would have used the OTT term many times in your daily life. The full form of OTT is Over the Top Media Services, which are streaming services available over the internet. Some examples of OTT platforms are Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Netflix, Zee5, SonyLIV and other such platforms. You might find it difficult to believe, but Reliance Entertainment launched the first OTT platform in India in 2008. The name of the platform was BIGFlix. It took almost five years for the OTT craze to catch up in India. Hotstar gained popularity in 2015 after it won the streaming rights to IPL. In 2016, Netflix entered India, and this was an instant hit among the public.
Presently there are 40 active OTT platforms in India. Some additional podcast platforms are also considered to be a part of the OTT industry. Most of the OTT platform charges a subscription fee, and you can even get a free subscription as a part of some of the offer. Some OTT platforms allow sharing of the accounts, while there are OTT platforms which do not permit account sharing. OTT has gained a lot of popularity during covid since it offered a better source of entertainment with a lot more content in the comfort of the home.