A Study on Over-the-Top (OTT) Video Streaming Platforms in Bangladesh ()
1. Introduction
Over The Top (OTT) video streaming is a digital platform for audio-visual content over the Internet. OTT streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime video, etc., are popular among viewers worldwide. According to Gonçalves et al. (2014), OTT refers to video delivery over an open system using Internet Protocol. OTT video streaming platforms provide video content to customers via the Internet (Erman et al., 2011; Sujata et al., 2015). Over the last couple of years, Bangladesh has seen a tremendous increase in the development and availability of smartphones, tablets, and digital technology like smart TV sets. As a result of uninterrupted and advanced internet connectivity, this process is accelerated. There are more smartphones in Bangladesh than at any time in the past. In order to operate, Over the Top (OTT) video streaming requires these facilities. Due to their ridiculous content and lack of diversity, mainstream audio-visual mediums like satellite channels are becoming less attractive to viewers than OTT video streaming platforms. They are also being criticized for rapidly declining production quality.
During the last quarter of 2019, the capital of China’s Hubei province, Wuhan, was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 8, 2020, coronavirus was discovered for the first time in Bangladesh. As a result, Bangladesh’s government issued a special ‘General Leave’ on March 26 on the pretext of a ‘lockdown.’ This lockdown lasted until May 30, 2020 (Shammi et al., 2020). There were 2,008,282 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported to WHO by Bangladesh between 3 January 2020 and 12 August 2022, and 29,310 people died as a result (WHO, 2022). In Bangladesh, OTT video streaming platforms have increased in popularity due to the outbreak of COVID-19. This is not only a phenomenon in Bangladesh but also a turning point for many countries. Due to COVID-19, media consumption has changed significantly in the last two years. This bored viewers, watching repeated programs as the television industry failed to produce original content. Furthermore, commercial breaks interrupt the content, another reason not to choose mainstream media. In addition, there was a complete shutdown of cinemas during this period. This resulted in the rise of Over the Top (OTT) video streaming. In addition to providing enormously diversified content, this medium has also proven to be more flexible than traditional entertainment media. A significant advancement in this medium is the on-demand subscription service (SVOD) and ease of access. According to a news report published in The Daily Star on 13th August 2022, video streaming services in Bangladesh had experienced slow growth prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the pandemic sped up this medium’s transformation. According to the report, Bangladeshi OTT can benefit from improved technologies, budget-friendly subscription options, and original and locally relevant content investments (Joya, 2022).
2. Literature Review
There is a lack of literature regarding OTT platforms from Bangladesh’s perspective. On the board, there are very few newspaper reports. Launched in 2013, Bongo is Bangladesh’s first OTT video streaming platform. Bangladesh has a variety of OTT video platforms. We can divide them into three groups according to their characteristics and origins. In the first place, the group of OTT video streaming platforms did not originate in Bangladesh. The service providers operated from a foreign country. Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu are the representatives of international service providers. They do not have an office here. The second OTT service provider is Hoichoi and Binge, a Bangladeshi company operating from within Bangladesh but originating from abroad. The last category of OTT video streaming platforms are truly Bangladeshi service providers originating and operating from Bangladesh. Chorki, Bioscope, and Bongo are from this category.
According to the international research organization Statista, in the year 2021, the market size of the global OTT platform will be nearly 178 billion dollars, estimated to reach 275 billion dollars by the year 2027 (Statista, 2021). Furthermore, an article published in Dhaka Tribune titled ‘The r/evolution of OTT platforms in Bangladesh’ published on 26th February 2021, investigated that Bongo has more than 4.3 million subscribers in Bangladesh (Chowdhury, 2021). Furthermore, according to a Business Inspection BD report published on 10th October 2021, titled ‘The Rise and Future of Video Streaming Platforms in Bangladesh,’ OTT service provider Bongo claims that they are offering one of the world’s largest collections of Bangla content (Anik, 2021).
According to a bdnews24.com report published on 4th May 2022, the Hoichoi OTT platform launched Bangladesh in 2019, an Indian subscription-based video streaming platform. This report also revealed that pi Strategy, a management consulting firm found around 200,000 Netflix subscribers in Bangladesh at the end of 2019. Binge was another dominant video streaming platform in May 2020 (Haque, 2022).
The Financial Express published a report on 12th December 2020, showing that Netflix, the giant international OTT video streaming service provider started its service in Bangladesh in 2016. It has been estimated that nearly 200,000 active subscribers of Netflix are in Bangladesh. According to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission data, Netflix earned around 21.6 million USD from Bangladeshi subscribers (Shayan, 2020).
The Business Standard, a news portal, published news on 7th September 2021, about forming a committee to control the online platform OTT headed by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (BTRC) (2022) commissioner (Legal and License). It was the following action of a high court order. The ruling was given to formulate policy on OTT platforms and collect revenue from them (TBS Report, 2021).
3. Bangladesh Perspective of OTT Video Streaming Platforms
It is crucial to understand internet facilities and subscribers’ information to know the actual status of OTT video streaming platforms in Bangladesh. This is because uninterrupted and high-speed internet service is the main prerequisite for OTT video streaming. However, Bangladesh is becoming a rapidly growing mobile phone and internet consumer market globally. As shown in Figure 1, there are nearly 182.92 million mobile phone consumers in Bangladesh. However, the internet service consumers are 124.89 million in the same month (BTRC, 2022).
Internet subscription is another crucial issue regarding OTT video streaming. As shown in Figure 2, nearly 113.90 million consumers use the internet through mobile phones. The rest of the 10.99 million consumers used the internet through ISP (Internet Service Provider) and PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) gateway (BTRC, 2022). As shown in Figure 2, mobile phones and internet users through mobile phones are growing day by day. These growths accelerate the consumption of OTT video streaming in Bangladesh.
As shown in Figure 3, Statista, a global data research farm, disclosed a report on OTT video streaming consumers in Bangladesh. Statista also forecasts the growth of Bangladeshi OTT video streaming platforms based on the current users, that by the year 2026, it will reach 11.3 million users. In 2017, the users were 2.7 million, and by the end of November 2021, the figure reached 7 million users, which is three times higher than that of 2017 (Statista, 2021).
As shown in Figure 4, the average revenue per user in Bangladesh was 6.42 USD in 2017. At the end of 2021, it becomes 13.20 USD per user. This report also
![]()
Source: Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (Reproduced).
Figure 1. Mobile phone subscribers in Bangladesh (Million).
![]()
Source: Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (Reproduced).
Figure 2. Internet subscribers in Bangladesh (Million).
![]()
Source: Data reproduced from Statista.
Figure 3. OTT user in Bangladesh.
![]()
Source: Data reproduced from Statista.
Figure 4. Average revenue per user of OTT in Bangladesh.
shows that by the end of 2026, the average revenue per user will reach 17.12 USD (Statista, 2021). These statistics from Statista clearly show that OTT video streaming users’ market size and revenue from this sector are increasing yearly. Therefore, Bangladesh is undoubtedly becoming another booming market for OTT video streaming platforms worldwide.
4. Global Perspective of OTT Video Streaming Platforms
Studying the global perspective of OTT video streaming platforms is essential to understand a comparative understanding of Bangladesh. A recent study done by the strategic consulting and market research farm BlueWeave revealed that the global OTT service providers market was worth USD 104.2 billion in the year 2021, and it is expected to reach USD 293.0 billion by the year 2028 with a CAGR of 16.1%. It has been possible due to the advancement in internet speed and the technological advancement of smartphones (BlueWeave, 2022).
As shown in Figure 5, the gradual development progression of the global OTT market size year by year. Netflix is one of the dominant global players of OTT video streaming platforms worldwide, with 214 million paid memberships in over 190 countries, enjoying TV series, documentaries, and feature films across various genres and languages (BlueWeave, 2022). According to Julia Stoll’s report on ‘Netflix’s annual revenue 2002-2021’ published in Statista on Feb 21, 2022, Netflix’s revenue has increased. In 2021, it reached its peak of 26.7 billion USD. The figure is also evidence of more than ten times higher than the revenue of 2007. According to the report, Netflix’s net income in 2021 was 5.16 billion USD, and its total number of employees was 9400 worldwide (Stoll, 2022).
5. Government Rules and Regulations on OTT Video Streaming Platforms in Bangladesh
As of yet, Bangladesh has no rules and regulations regarding OTT platforms. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission is drafting a regulation
entitled ‘‘The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Regulation for Digital, Social Media and OTT Platforms 2021’’. The OTT sector generates massive revenue for international service providers every year. Because Bangladesh does not have standard rules and laws to regulate OTT video streaming platforms, the Bangladeshi government does not get any taxes. As a result, government officials are formally preparing this draft.
6. Theoretical Framework
Uses and Gratification Theory
The uses and gratification theory is one of the oldest and most influential theories in mass communication and media research. This uses and gratification (U&G) theory intend to explain the way people use media to fulfil their needs and their gratification from it. In this theory, users are integral to the whole communication process. Henceforth, this study believes that the U & G theory can help understand changes in OTT video streaming viewership patterns and analyze the pros and cons behind these changes in viewership patterns.
The first statement about (U&G) theory comes from Katz et al. (1973) and shows that the approach represents an attempt to explain how individuals use communications, among other re- sources in their environment, to satisfy their needs and achieve their goals, and to do so by simply asking them. McQuail (1987) argues that ‘‘The uses and gratifications' approaches which has been centrally concerned with the choice, reception and manner of response of the media audience.’’ Mass communication researchers are using the (U & G) theory to examine, explain, and provide answers to why people use certain media and what benefits or gratifications they get after that (Musa et al., 2015).
According to Katz, Blumler, & Gurevitch (1973), five key assumptions are essential to understanding the relationship between media and audiences. First, according to the theory of uses and gratification, audiences choose media that certainly satisfy their needs. Uses and the uses and gratification theory believe that the audience is active. In mass communication, many initiatives linking gratification and media choice lie with the audience member. The behavior severely restricts theory about any of media content's straight-line effect on attitudes and behavior. Other sources of those in need of fulfilment interact with the media. The needs addressed by mass communication are only a tiny part of a more extensive set of human wants, and the extent to which they can be met satisfactorily through mass media use varies greatly. Furthermore, data provided by individual audience members could be used to determine most of those aims of media consumption. Moreover, value judgments concerning the cultural importance of mass communication should be put on hold while consumer orientations are investigated on their terms (p. 510-511).
Bangladeshi OTT consumers watch OTT content that satisfies and gratify their media consumption needs. They have some distinct needs regarding media consumption. They have certain attitudes and behavior regarding different OTT platforms and their provided contents. They have shown different attitudes and behaviors toward leading stream TV media, movie theatres, and OTT video streaming platforms. They play a very active role in media consumption. Thus, the uses and gratification (U & G) theory is the most relevant and applicable mass communication theory to analyze the current Study on Over-the-Top (OTT) Video Streaming Platforms in Bangladesh. The study applied the uses and gratification theory to understand viewers’ satisfaction levels and their response to Over-the-Top (OTT) video streaming platforms in Bangladesh.
7. The Objective of the Study
The study intends to understand better the OTT platforms and their opportunities and challenges in Bangladesh. In addition, the study examines the current situation of OTT video streaming platforms in Bangladesh. The viewership patterns of different OTT content among viewers is another concern of this study. The financial reports show that this new entertainment medium has already reached nearly a billion-dollar market worldwide. Bangladesh is a country in South Asia where mobile phone penetration increases daily.
Moreover, studying this new entertainment medium can open new financial opportunities for us. Unfortunately, there is not enough academic research regarding this matter yet. This study has the opportunity to fill that knowledge gap. This research will also be helpful to future researchers to investigate and gather new knowledge about OTT platforms in Bangladesh. This research also aims to set recommendations to regulate and improve OTT video streaming service quality in Bangladesh.
7.1. Purpose of the Study
1) Discover the viewership patterns and preferences of OTT video streaming in Bangladesh.
2) Analyze the popularity of OTT platforms over traditional audio-visual media.
3) Finally, examining the OTT market share in Bangladesh.
7.2. Research Questions
RQ 1: How big are OTT video platforms’ consumer and revenue sizes in Bangladesh?
RQ 2: What is the most popular content on OTT video streaming platforms in Bangladesh?
RQ 3: What is the impact of OTT video streaming platforms on traditional media and movie theatres?
8. Methodology
A quantitative research method has been adopted to answer the research questions mentioned above. The research carried out primary research supported by formulated questionnaire to operate survey research to understand the consumers’ viewership patterns towards various OTT video streaming platforms. A well-structured questionnaire has been formed and circulated to multiple age groups and different demographic stakeholders to determine consumers’ OTT video streaming consumption patterns. Through the questionnaire, the study attempt to find out Bangladeshi OTT viewers’ preference and patterns. This study also used secondary data from scholarly journal articles, books, newspaper reports, and global financial reports from various research agencies. Primary data were analyzed using a Google-based data analysis tool.
9. Sampling
As the younger people mostly use the OTT video streaming platforms, this study considered the age group of 18 to 50 for research. Therefore, a random sampling approach has been chosen to collect primary data. The sample of 100 respondents completed their feedback within one week, and the given data was evaluated for this study only. A straightforward random sampling procedure was used to gather the sample through email and social media. In terms of probability, this sampling technique is the easiest. In every instance, the population has an equal chance of being included in the model when using a basic random sample. However, simple random sampling has several drawbacks (Ghauri et al., 2020).
9.1. Tools Used for Data Collection
The survey collected the response by email and social media like Facebook through a Google form link. The structured questionnaire contains 14 close-ended questions. In addition, the questionnaire contains questions about Bangladeshi users’ OTT preference and their personal views regarding OTT platforms in Bangladesh. This study also used Google form generated result diagram for data analysis.
9.2. Data Interpretation and Analysis
The primary survey was conducted across different areas of Dhaka city. This study analyzed the collected survey data to discover OTT video streaming viewers’ preferences, expenditures, and demographic information. The demographics of the respondents were collected from the age group of 18 to 50 years.
As shown in Figure 6, 92% of the respondents are from the urban area, 5% are from the semi-urban area, and 3% are from the rural area. However, these demographic respondents are not well balanced as well. Many respondents come from urban areas because most of the respondents were selected from the city area.
Inference
This has identified that many respondents who watch OTT content live in urban areas. However, proportionately, a smaller portion of respondents lives in a semi-urban and rural area.
The demographic proportion of OTT subscribers
· Urban: 92%.
· Semi-Urban: 5%.
· Rural: 3%.
The demography of different age groups of OTT subscribers is essential to understand the central tendency regarding this issue. As shown in Figure 7, 28% of respondents were 35 to 40 years old. Whereas most respondents were from 30 to 40 years, the percentage is 55%. Moreover, there were no subscribers below the age group of 18 and above 50 years. 14% of respondents who watch OTT content were from 18 years to 25 years. Simultaneously, 19% of respondents were from the age group of 25 years to 30 years. However, the lowest percentages of OTT subscribers were from the age group 45 years to 50 years.
Inference
In line with the primary research and insights from the survey, the highest numbers of respondents were from 35 to 40 years old. 28% of the total sample population watches OTT content. At the same time, 30 to 35 years old respondents are the second highest among the entire sample population, 27%. A notable observation from the primary survey is that people below 18 and above 50 do
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 6. The demographics of OTT subscribers.
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 7. The age demographics of OTT video streaming platforms subscribers.
not watch OTT content. The small sample size of only 100 respondents is audacious enough to conclude that those below 18 and above 50 years old do not view OTT content.
OTT viewing among different age groups
· 35 - 40 Years: 28%.
· 30 - 35 Years: 27%.
· 25 - 30 Years: 19%.
· 18 - 25 Years: 14%.
· 40 - 45 Years: 10%.
· 45 - 50 Years: 2%.
· Below 18 Years: 0%.
· Above 50 Years: 0%.
Inference
The impact of OTT video streaming platforms on mainstream sources of entertainment like satellite television channels is quite essential to the current study. As shown in Figure 8, 67% of the subscribers admitted OTT as their primary source of entertainment. On the other hand, 33% of the subscribers do not acknowledge OTT as their primary source of entertainment. However, almost two-thirds of the population declared OTT as their primary source of entertainment.
OTT as a primary source of entertainment
Yes: 67%.
No: 33%.
Inference
Money spent on OTT content watching is a crucial issue. Respondents answered about their payment status for watching OTT content. As shown in Figure 9, 76% of respondents responded that they spent money to watch OTT content. On the other hand, 24% of respondents responded that they do not spend money watching OTT content.
Monetary status of OTT consumptions
· Spend money: 76%.
· Do not spend money: 24%.
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 8. Estimated impact of OTT over satellite television.
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 9. Monetary status of consumption of OTT content by consumers.
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 10. Subscription fees of OTT per month per user.
Inference
This study has discovered the expenditure pattern of OTT consumers in Bangladesh. As shown in Figure 10, the expenditure of subscribers on OTT consumption in Bangladesh. The highest portion of subscribers does not pay any money to watch OTT content. 22% of the respondents, the highest among the others, are in this group. The second largest group is 21%, who pay 4 USD per user. Simultaneously, 16% of subscribers spend below 2 USD, and another 16% spend 6 USD per month per user. As shown in Figure 10, 8% of respondents spend 2 USD per month. 7% of subscribers spend 8 USD per month. 4% of the total subscribers spend 10 USD per month, and 3% of subscribers spend 12 USD per month. The highest amount of money, 14 USD and 16 USD is spent by 2% and 3% of subscribers.
Expenditure pattern of subscribers for OTT subscription (Per month)
· Free of cost: 22%.
· 4 USD: 21%.
· 6 USD:16%.
· Below 2 USD: 16%.
· 2 USD: 8%.
· 8 USD: 7%.
· 10 USD: 4%.
· 12 & 16 USD: 3%.
· 14 USD: 2%.
Inference
The satisfaction of using OTT service is an essential factor regarding the future of OTT video streaming in Bangladesh. Subscribers have been asked about their continuation of OTT service. As shown in Figure 11, 66% of the subscribers are happy and wish to continue OTT service. On the other hand, 8% of the subscribers do not wish to continue OTT service. Moreover, 26% of the subscribers are unsure about their continuation of OTT service.
Estimated continuation of OTT service
· Wish to continue: 66%.
· DO not wish to continue: 8%.
· Not sure about continuation: 26%.
Inference
As shown in Figure 12, 69% of subscribers think the future of OTT video
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 11. The willingness of subscribers to continue OTT.
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 12. Future of OTT platforms in Bangladesh.
streaming platforms in Bangladesh is prosperous. On the other hand, 23% of subscribers think OTT's future in Bangladesh is challenging. 8% of the subscribers are not ready to comment on this issue.
Estimated future of OTT in Bangladesh
· Prosperous: 69%.
· Challenging: 23%.
· Prefer not to say: 8%.
Inference
As shown in Figure 13, 66% of respondents think their viewership pattern towards TV and movie theatres has been reshaped due to OTT viewing. On the other hand, 14% of the respondents feel that OTT is not affecting their viewership pattern towards TV and movie theatres. Therefore, a significant number of respondents, which is 20%, are not sure about the factors affecting OTT on their viewership pattern to TV and movie theatres.
Effect of OTT viewership on TV and movie theatre
· Yes: 66%.
· No: 14%.
· Maybe: 20%.
Inference
As shown in Figure 14, the highest numbers of OTT respondents have a habit of viewing content at night, which is 60%. However, the second highest of the subscribers viewing OTT is late night, with a population of 27%. Moreover, 6% of the subscribers view OTT content in the afternoon. At the same time, 5% of viewers watch OTT content in the evening. On the other hand, only 2% of subscribers view OTT content in the morning. Therefore, through the primary, it has been seen that most of the subscribers watch OTT programs at night time. So, many OTT viewers prefer nighttime to manage watching content.
Estimated Viewing schedule of OTT content
· Night: 60%.
· Late night: 27%.
· Afternoon: 6%.
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 13. The challenge of OTT video streaming on TV and movie theatres.
· Evening: 5%.
· Morning: 2%.
Inference
Consumption of viewing per subscriber per day is essential to understand the trend to evaluate OTT video streaming platforms in Bangladesh. As shown in Figure 15, 64% of the subscribers watch OTT content for less than 2 hours. The second highest percentage of the population, 30%, watches OTT content from 2 - 4 hours. However, only 4% of the subscribers watch 4 - 6 hours daily. Moreover, 1% of subscribers watch 6 - 8 hours of OTT content daily. Additionally, only
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 14. Time preference of OTT content consumption by viewers.
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 15. OTT content consumption per user per day.
1% of OTT subscribers watch OTT content for more than 8 hours daily.
Estimated daily viewing time
· Less than 2 hours: 64%.
· 2 - 4 hours: 30%.
· 4 - 6 hours: 4%.
· 6 - 8 hours: 1%.
· More than 8 hours: 1%.
Inference
One of the major research questions of the study is to discover OTT viewers preferred content. As shown in Figure 16, the highest 35% of subscribers like to watch films on OTT video streaming platforms. The second highest in the web series with a population of 34%. Moreover, 15% of subscribers like to watch documentaries from OTT. At the same time, 11% of subscribers prefer TV series to watch from OTT. Additionally, only 3% of the population likes to watch the news from OTT platforms. 2% of the subscribers prefer to watch sports from OTT video streaming in Bangladesh.
Estimated preference of contents
· Film: 35%.
· Web series: 34%.
· Documentary: 15%.
· TV serial: 11%.
· News: 3%.
· Sports: 2%.
Inference
It is essential to know by using which device subscribers watch OTT content. As shown in Figure 17, the highest 45% of subscribers use smart phones to watch OTT content. Moreover, 40% of the subscribers use desktop/laptops to watch OTT content. Additionally, 12% of subscribers use intelligent TV sets to
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 16. Preference for different OTT contents.
watch OTT content. A small number of the population which is only 3%, use tablets to watch OTT content.
Estimated preference of device to watch OTT
· Smartphone: 45%.
· Desktop/Laptop: 40%.
· Smart TV set: 12%.
· Tablet: 3%.
Inference
As shown in Figure 18, over 34% of the respondents preferred Netflix as their favorite OTT platform. Moreover, 20% of the respondents preferred Hoichoi as their preferred OTT platform. On the other hand, 15% of the respondents admitted Chorki was their favorite OTT platform. However, 12% of the respondents marked Prime Video as their favorite OTT platform. Surprisingly, 1% of respondents preferred Hulu and Binge as their favorite OTT platforms. Over
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 17. Preference of device to watch OTT content.
![]()
Source: Primary Survey.
Figure 18. Preference of favorite OTT platform.
7% of the respondent selected Bioscope as their favorite OTT platform. Only 6% of respondents selected Bongo as their preferred OTT platform. Last but not least, only 4% of respondents selected ZEE5 as their favorite OTT platform.
Favourite OTT platform
· Netflix: 34%.
· Hoichoi: 20%.
· Chorki: 15%.
· Prime Video: 12%.
· Bioscope: 7%.
· Bongo: 6%.
· ZEE5: 4%.
· Hulu: 1%.
· Binge: 1%.
10. Key Findings
1) According to the primary survey data, most OTT subscribers (92%) live in the urban area of Bangladesh. Probably, the reason is the availability of good internet speed in the urban area.
2) A large portion of OTT subscribers ranges from 18 to 40 years. 88% of the subscribers are in the above age group. Generally, the below-18-year-old and over-50-year-old age groups are not interested in OTT content.
3) A large proportion of subscribers (67%) admit that OTT is their primary source of entertainment. On the other hand, only 33% of the population has declared that OTT is not their primary source of entertainment. However, this shifting of media consumption indicates that OTT video streaming platforms have a distinguishing effect on mainstream entertainment mediums in Bangladesh.
4) While 76% of the respondents watch OTT content through a paid subscription, on the other hand, 24% of the respondents enjoy free OTT content without a paid subscription.
5) Over 2% of the respondents pay more than 14 USD monthly for OTT subscriptions. On the other hand, 3% of respondents spend more than 16 USD per month. Therefore, 21% of the respondent pays 4 USD per month for an OTT subscription. At the same time, 16% of respondents spend below 2 USD per month for an OTT subscription. Moreover, 16% of the respondent pay 6 USD per month for an OTT subscription. On the other hand, 22% claimed that they do not pay any subscription fee for watching OTT content. Over 3% of the respondent pay 12 USD per month for OTT consumption. Therefore, 4% of the total respondent spend nearly 10 USD per month on OTT subscriptions. The most significant percentage of respondents (21%) spend 4 USD per month.
6) Over 66% of the respondents want to continue their OTT video streaming platform subscription. On the other hand, 14% of the respondents do not wish to continue their subscriptions. This is because they are not happy with the content or service. At the same time, 20% of the respondents are unsure about their continuation of OTT subscriptions.
7) Significantly, the highest 60% of the respondents watch OTT content at night time. On the other hand, the second highest, 27% of the respondents, watch OTT content late at night. Moreover, 6% of the respondents watch OTT in the afternoon time. Only 5% of the viewers watch OTT content in the evening time. Over 2% of the respondents watch OTT content in the morning time. According to the above data, this is clear that most subscribers of the OTT content watch programs at night and late at night.
8) According to the primary survey, 64% of respondents watch OTT content for less than 2 hours daily. On the other hand, 30% of the respondent watches OTT content for 2 - 4 hours per day. Moreover, 94% of the respondent watches OTT content for nearly less than two hours to 4 hours per day.
9) Significantly, the highest 35% of the respondents prefer Film as a favorite OTT content. On the other hand, 34% of the respondents prefer web series as their desired OTT content. Moreover, 15% of respondents like to watch documentaries on OTT video streaming. On the other hand, only 11% of the respondents want to watch TV serials from OTT video streaming. Between 3% and 2%, news and sports are less popular than OTT content among subscribers.
10) Over 45% of Bangladeshi OTT viewers watch OTT content by using smartphones. On the other hand, the second highest 40% of the subscribers use desktops/laptops to watch OTT content. On the other hand, 12% of subscribers use smart TV sets to watch OTT content. Only 3% of the subscribers use tablets to watch OTT video streaming.
11) The exciting findings of this research are that nearly 66% of the subscribers consider that their OTT content viewing affects their viewership of TV and movie theatres. On the other hand, only 14% of subscribers think that OTT viewing habit is not affecting their viewership of TV and movie theatres. Significantly, 20% of the subscribers are unsure about the effect of their OTT viewership over TV and movie theatres.
12) Netflix is on the top as the favorite OTT platform in Bangladesh. Over 34% of the respondents preferred Netflix as their favorite OTT platform. On the other hand, the second highest, 20% of the respondents preferred Hoichoi as their favorite OTT platform. Moreover, 15% of the respondents preferred Chorki as their favorite OTT platform. OTT platform Chorki is one of the top three OTT platforms originated and based in Bangladesh.
11. Limitations and Future Research
A primary focus of this study was the current situation of OTT platforms and viewership patterns in Bangladesh. Despite this, it is difficult to find enough relevant literature on the subject. To understand the current situation, newspaper reports and articles were the only sources of information. There is no revenue-earning declaration from the OTT providers, which is one of the significant limitations of this study. In terms of revenue from video streaming service providers, government sources have no official financial statistics. Therefore, this study relies primarily on data and statistics from international research agencies. In addition, the study acknowledges that 100 respondents are not enough to cover a more extensive study area due to a lack of resources and budget. However, this is a primary attempt to establish a foundation of literature for future researchers, which will be helpful to future researchers.
12. Conclusion
OTT video streaming platforms and consumers’ preferences regarding OTT have been examined and analyzed in this article. This study also analyzed the growth of over-the-top (OTT) video streaming platforms as a global phenomenon. Bangladesh is experiencing an increase in the number of mobile phones and internet subscribers every day. Netflix and Hoichoi dominate the OTT industry's crucial market share in Bangladesh. It is also important to note that Bangladeshi OTT video streaming platforms like Chorki are gaining significant market share in the OTT sector. The popularity of this new entertainment medium in Bangladesh is increasing daily. Sixty-six percent of subscribers say OTT viewing affects their television and movie viewing patterns. Furthermore, 67% of subscribers consider OTT content their primary entertainment source. Therefore, the study of Over-the-Top (OTT) video content and consumer expectations is necessary. Furthermore, developing sustainable and applicable rules and laws to regulate Over-the-Top (OTT) video streaming platforms in Bangladesh is also pertinent. Furthermore, OTT platforms significantly impact traditional media, such as satellite television and movie theatres. Therefore, OTT video streaming platforms and content are reshaping Bangladesh's entertainment industry in a significant way.