Study: VR and OTT Will Play Together

Consumers may like virtual reality and everything it has to offer, but what about those on the front lines in the media and entertainment space? That’s one of the things content delivery network company Level 3 Communications set out to discover in a new report.

Interviewing nearly 630 media and entertainment workers worldwide in May, Level 3 found that, despite potential problems with virtual reality (lack of access to players, device delays and bandwidth limitations for over-the-top VR content delivery), of the companies offering OTT services, more than half have launched or are looking to launch VR video content. And more than two thirds said they believe VR is here to stay.

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“As the OTT industry continues to grow and evolve, this study shows there is more focus on not only delivering live streaming events — which can be a challenge in itself — but also streaming in 4K or even VR,” said Anthony Christie, chief marketing officer for Level 3.

The report also found that nearly 50% of OTT companies are looking at 4K broadcasts, 4K VOD streaming or 4K live streaming, and nearly 70% said they were serious about delivering content enabled with high dynamic range (HDR).