OTT Video Could Help ISPs

In some ways, growing viewership of online video by the likes of Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, iTunes and other video streaming applications and services represent both a threat and an opportunity for broadband access providers who also sell subscription video services. 


The threat obviously is the danger that consumers might shift viewing from video subscription services to over the top alternatives. Over time, that could mean fewer subscribers, and less revenue for one of the three anchor services for a triple-play services provider.


On the other hand, video represents the application with highest bandwidth requirements, so demand for bigger broadband access buckets should grow over time, and perhaps dramatically- if significant percentages of households shift a large part of their video viewing to online sources.


For pure-play broadband access providers, who do not sell video services, video provides upside, mostly, increasing demand for faster services and more consumption.