Over-the-top streaming has good potential for reshaping how first-party consumer data is used in advertising. For example, an OTT service’s marketing team can know directly which shows have their users been watching or searching for, what are their consumption stats, and what their playlists look like. 

This is also a good way of inserting AVOD, or advertising on demand: placing ads at the beginning of any video content streamed online. This is an alternative model of monetization that can be used instead of º. 

For example, it could be particularly useful for small, local sports leagues that are just beginning to stream their game and don’t have a large viewership but their users do spend a while watching their content. 

With AVOD, content creators can rely on sponsors to run advertisements on their content. It is already a common practice for YouTubers, but once real-time sports events become more easily streamable using ultra-low latency and easy-to-use OTT technology, AVOD could also become popular among creators on other platforms. 

According to AI Technology Insights, around 62% of viewers say they don’t mind ads on the videos they watch as long as these stay free. If a combined strategy of personalized ads –based on OTT user data– and AVOD is deployed, it could retain viewers more easily.