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This paper aims to examine the dramatically different markets for over-the-top (OTT) TV services that have emerged in the USA, and other leading markets such as Japan and Korea. Whereas OTT TV services emerged as extensions of mainstream audiovisual providers in Korea and Japan, further entrenching their dominance, they emerged in the USA as market-disrupting newcomers such as Netflix. This paper seeks to explain why, putting forward four explanations: lower resistance to disruptive innovation in public TV dominant systems; higher production costs; lower penetration of broadband-capable devices; and more expensive mobile pricing plans.

This comparative case study examines news and trade press articles, industry surveys and government reports to identify the reasons behind these contrasting experiences of Japan, South Korea and the USA in the deployment of OTT TV services.

To explain why events in the three countries took such dramatically different paths, four explanations were put forward, all complementing one another: lower resistance to disruptive innovation in public TV dominant systems; higher audiovisual production costs in the USA making market-disruptive moves to new technological platforms more risky; lower penetration of broadband-capable devices reducing the profit potential of new OTT-based platforms; and more expensive mobile pricing plans, making it harder for users to access OTT content.

The global trend in the growth of OTT TV services masks significant differences in growth trends and business initiatives at the national level. This paper aims to examine and understand why OTT TV services have shown such different patterns across countries.

This paper aims to analyse how the top over-the-top (OTT) platform is becoming a preferred source of entertainment amongst young consumers over traditional Pay TV service (Cable TV/DTH) in India and what factors play a vital role in such preferences along with gamification of content. The study follows the theoretical framework of use and gratifications theory and Niche analysis.

The study establishes a conceptual framework of understanding the preference of consumers, which triggers the shift from old media to new. This research develops an approach to understanding the relevant implications in responses of consumers through a structured online survey conducted amongst different age groups by applying exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. To further comprehend the relations between measured variables and constructs, the statistical technique is incorporated, i.e. logistic regression.

Empirical results and discussion insinuated the five factors which affect consumers’ choices concerning entertainment i.e. content and viewing behaviour, expenses incurred on services, shifts influenced by offerings/incentives, convenience and telecom. Logistic regression validated the strength of these factors which made content and viewing behaviour, expenses incurred on services and convenience the three most important factors.

This study analyses the driving factors that are revolutionising the entertainment industry and can be applied in designing a comfortable and engaging experience for a consumer in the future.

This research is original in nature and the findings of this study are valuable for online streaming services, video-on-demand services, Cable TV operators and entertainment content producers.

The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the role of e-service quality factors in predicting e-satisfaction. The study context was spirituality and well-being over-the-top services. The e-service quality factors consisted of perceived functional completeness, perceived performance, perceived quality of interface and interaction, perceived quality of content and information and perceived quality of customer support. The study goal was to ascertain over-the-top services customers’ behavioral intention toward upgrading to premium subscription and the spread of electronic word of mouth.

This study was based upon the integrated stimulus-organism-response framework where e-service quality represented the stimulus, e-satisfaction the organism, behavioral intention and electronic word of mouth as the response. The study used a moderated-mediation approach with e-satisfaction as the mediator and the price value of a premium subscription as the moderator. To empirically test the model, the authors collected data from 312 spirituality and well-being over-the-top services users in India. Partial least squares-structured equation modeling was used to analyze the collected data.

The findings of the study supported the association between e-service quality factors and e-satisfaction while using spirituality and well-being over-the-top service. The results furthermore indicated that satisfied spirituality and well-being over-the-top customers were willing to upgrade to the premium subscription and spread favorable electronic word of mouth. The moderated-mediation study results revealed that the price value of premium subscriptions moderated the relationship between e-service quality and e-satisfaction but did not moderate the relationship between e-satisfaction and behavioral intention, and e-satisfaction and electronic word of mouth.

This study offered a comprehensive stimulus-organism-response theoretical model by using the five e-service quality measurement factors as “stimuli” for motivating the internal state of spirituality and well-being over-the-top subscribers. This was toward sustained usage in over-the-top services subsequent to the end of the freemium period. Furthermore, in this study, both e-service quality theory and user satisfaction theory were integrated into the stimulus-organism-response model. This helped to better comprehend the impact of e-service quality factors in driving e-satisfaction among spirituality and well-being over-the-top service users.

This study revealed the significance of differentiating premium over-the-top subscriptions based on price value. To ensure a high level of e-satisfaction from a premium subscription, a greater emphasis on the e-service quality dimensions was required. This study provided insights to managers regarding the role of favorable electronic word of mouth in fostering effective customer acquisition.

This was one of the first studies which concurrently integrated perceived value of the premium subscription and e-satisfaction with customers’ behavioral intention and electronic word of mouth through the theoretical lens of stimulus-organism-response.

The purpose of this paper is to examine current trends in over the top (OTT) research through bibliometric analysis of Scopus and Web of Science indexed publications. This study attempted to identify the thrust areas that may be addressed through future research initiatives.

This study included bibliometric analysis of research articles published on OTT domain for a time period ranging from 2011 to 2021. The authors were able to extract 137 unique articles from selected databases with inclusion criteria limited to social sciences only. The retrieved data is then analyzed using the R studio and VoSviewer user interfaces. Finally, discussions on citations, keywords, authors and source contributions toward the development of field were presented using descriptive and visual displays.

OTT as a research theme has gained wider acceptance recently. However, there is a scarcity of studies on the subject. The authors discovered that previous studies in the field had focused on technological aspects of the domain thus leaving a plethora of opportunities for future researchers to explore. In this regard, the findings enlisted few unexplored domains specific to OTT that require immediate attention of the researchers and stakeholders. It was suggested to investigate the field from marketing, behavioral, regulatory, social and quality aspects so as to broaden its scope.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is going to be the first bibliometric study ever conducted on OTT research. This study may be considered unique in identifying current trends in OTT research and recommending a course of action for future researchers.

With over-the-top (OTT) streaming services rapidly transforming the media industry and saturating the market, the authors' study seeks to enrich the goal-directed behaviour model by exploring how perceived risks and descriptive norms influence OTT consumption.

Survey data from OTT subscribers were collected online to assess their risk behaviours. The 353 responses obtained were analysed with SmartPLS, validating the structural equation modelling (SEM) through structural and measurement model verification.

The authors' findings illustrate that descriptive norm, perceived behavioural control, as well as positive and negative anticipated emotion (NEM) and attitude, contribute positively to the desire to engage with OTT streaming services. Interestingly, the authors' study contradicts common assumptions, revealing that subjective norms do not significantly impact the propensity to utilise OTT services. This counterintuitive finding necessitates a reconsideration of prevalent theories and contributes to a nuanced understanding of OTT adoption determinants.

The data gathering for this study were conducted from the perspective of a single nation. Therefore, caution must be exercised when generalising this study's results.

The practical ramifications of this research are vast, providing OTT service providers and marketers with actionable insights to maximise user engagement and navigate perceived risks related to OTT service adoption and consumption.

This study's exploration of perceived risks and descriptive norms enhances the goal-directed behaviour model's breadth, facilitating a holistic comprehension of the constructs shaping OTT consumption behaviours. It would be the first attempt to combine perceptual, affective and behavioural factors and perceived risks to understand the user's predisposition to engage in OTT streaming services.

The purpose of this paper is to determine, rank and form composite relational factors that impact the millennial consumer’s mind-set when they opt for an access-based subscription of an over-the-top (OTT) platform service. In the competitive rising Indian market of OTT platforms, there is a need to understand what factors drive the subscription of a service for a company strategizing to build up on their customer base or for a company seeking to retain its customers.

The approach includes determining factors that impact the buying behavior of the consumer and have them ranked by the survey participants in order of their importance as a factor in considering a subscription of an OTT platform service. Questionnaire as a method is used for primary data collection in this research. Using “purposive sampling,” participants of the survey were determined based on their age group and current or historic consumption of at least one OTT platform service. The survey was conducted for the millennial viewership from Tier I and Tier II cities that have good internet connectivity over their mobile phones.

The result of this research is a ranking of factors based on their importance as perceived by the millennial consumers and then form composite factors, which have similarities in responses.

This research enables the consumers of the information to dwell on the factors that prove to be of comparative importance to the consumer and plan/forecast their strategies and further research studies accordingly.

A research along similar lines has been conducted for US-based OTT platforms. However, this research is specific for Indian consumers and platforms and holds significance because of growth in the Indian OTT market.

COVID-19 preventive measures disrupted the media and entertainment business ecosystem, increased over the top (OTT) consumption, brought new OTT players, thus increased competition, and shaped consumer behaviour and habits. Despite this knowledge, in-depth insights into OTT's consumer behaviour, new usage habit and strategies used by subscription-based OTT platforms to maintain resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic are unknown. This paper aims to fill the two gaps in the extant OTT literature.

This study used Eisenhardt's multiple case studies approach to derive the strategies used by the top-performing subscription-based OTT platforms in India. Moreover, a purposive semi-structured Google survey was used to explore consumers' OTT experience during the pandemic. This study analysed data using NVivo 12 (survey) and MS Excel 2010 (case studies).

This study derived seven resilient OTT strategies; competitive low pricing, enhancing customer experience, launching innovative service plans, content localisation, strategic collaboration, flexibility in technology adoption and proactive sales promotion. Consequent to adopting these strategies, consumers' usage of OTT evolved from occasional to habitual. Convenience, ease of accessibility, risk of contracting COVID-19, variety and quality of content, online reviews and affordability drive consumer preference for OTT. Also, this study revealed consumers' varied OTT experiences.

The contribution is two-fold; the derived strategies for maintaining resilience and the in-depth insights into habit formation and consumer behaviour during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is valuable for media and entertainment stakeholders like streaming service providers, OTT services, cable operators, etc.

The use of over-the-top (OTT) platforms grew substantially after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With the pandemic receding, there is a concern that users may not continue with their subscriptions. To counter this, OTT service providers must strategize proactively to retain and acquire new users once the pandemic abates. Positing that understanding the consumption values that users ascribe to OTT platform usage can provide useful customer retention insights, the purpose of this paper is to use the theory of consumption value (TCV) to study the values that users derived from their use of OTT following the onset of the pandemic.

The mixed-method approach is used to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Analysis of qualitative responses collected through interviews of 12 current OTT platform users helped identify two categories of OTT platform-specific values: attribute-level and benefit-based. Next, the study examined the association of values thus identified with one another, as well as with continued intentions to use OTT platforms, by analyzing data collected from 371 existing users.

The findings indicated that functional value quality and social value, representing the attribute-level values, were positively associated with two benefit-based values – functional value price and emotional value (EMV). Next, EMV was not only associated with intentions but also partially mediated the association of attribute-level values with intentions. Premium subscription purchased and increased viewing time were confirmed to have moderating effects on the association between attribute-level and benefit-based values.

The study is amongst the foremost research initiatives to examine consumption values derived from OTT platform usage after the onset of the pandemic. Its novelty also comes from its identifying OTT platform-specific consumption values for the first time and adding a new dimension to the TCV by examining the interplay of these values in the OTT platform context.

Most previous studies on new technologies and services have concentrated on their acceptance, seldom exploring in depth why users may choose not to accept technology or service and remain “non-users.” This study aims to understand free platform users' intention to switch to paid subscription platforms.

This study utilized push-pull-mooring (PPM) theory to investigate free OTT platform viewers' switching intentions toward paid OTT platforms. A research model was established and examined via a two-stage partial least square (PLS) method. A total of 446 free users were collected from Facebook and Line for data analysis.

Results show that perceived intrusiveness is the push factor and alternative attractiveness is the pull factor and that both have a positive impact on the switching intention of non-subscribers. Habit represents the mooring factor and negative affects switching intention. Perceived convenience and perceived enjoyment are shown to be two significant habitual antecedents. Furthermore, habit is revealed to moderate the effect of users' perceived advertisement intrusion and alternative attractiveness on switching intention to strengthen positive impact when the habit is strong.

This study is one of the pioneering studies to consider free-to-paid switching behavior on media services using PPM's structural equation model. Contrary to previous research, the study found that, in the context of the free-to-paid transition, highly accustomed users' perception of pull factors and push factors were strengthened, thus generating the tendency to switch platforms.

As algorithms permeate nearly every aspect of digital life, artificial intelligence (AI) systems exert a growing influence on human behavior in the digital milieu. Despite its popularity, little is known about the roles and effects of algorithmic literacy (AL) on user acceptance. The purpose of this study is to contextualize AL in the AI environment by empirically examining the role of AL in developing users' information processing in algorithms. The authors analyze how users engage with over-the-top (OTT) platforms, what awareness the user has of the algorithmic platform and how awareness of AL may impact their interaction with these systems.

This study employed multiple-group equivalence methods to compare two group invariance and the hypotheses concerning differences in the effects of AL. The method examined how AL helps users to envisage, understand and work with algorithms, depending on their understanding of the control of the information flow embedded within them.

Our findings clarify what functions AL plays in the adoption of OTT platforms and how users experience algorithms, particularly in contexts where AI is used in OTT algorithms to provide personalized recommendations. The results point to the heuristic functions of AL in connection with its ties in trust and ensuing attitude and behavior. Heuristic processes using AL strongly affect the credibility of recommendations and the way users understand the accuracy and personalization of results. The authors argue that critical assessment of AL must be understood not just about how it is used to evaluate the trust of service, but also regarding how it is performatively related in the modeling of algorithmic personalization.

The relation of AL and trust in an algorithm lends strategic direction in developing user-centered algorithms in OTT contexts. As the AI industry has faced decreasing credibility, the role of user trust will surely give insights on credibility and trust in algorithms. To better understand how to cultivate a sense of literacy regarding algorithm consumption, the AI industry could provide examples of what positive engagement with algorithm platforms looks like.

User cognitive processes of AL provide conceptual frameworks for algorithm services and a practical guideline for the design of OTT services. Framing the cognitive process of AL in reference to trust has made relevant contributions to the ongoing debate surrounding algorithms and literacy. While the topic of AL is widely recognized, empirical evidence on the effects of AL is relatively rare, particularly from the user's behavioral perspective. No formal theoretical model of algorithmic decision-making based on the dual processing model has been researched.