While the OTT space is inundated with a glut of new streaming platforms, shows and movies, it becomes very important for OTT platforms to know how popular a show is. But how do they do it? We’ll tell you!
Parrot Analytics, a start-up, says they have come up with a way to measure what content means to an OTT like Amazon. It tracks ‘demand expressions’, a term coined by the chief executive, Wared Seger, which takes in various ‘pings’ across the internet factoring in Google searches, Facebook likes, etc to determine a shows’ popularity.
This helps in understanding the viewers’ enthusiasm, which in turn will help in what most OTT‘s want: how many new users can they attract to their platform. Because unlike network TV, most OTTs don’t make money when viewers watch more hours of their content; they earn when new members sign up.
According to Seger, original content like “Stranger Things” tend to bring in new customers, while older shows like “Suits” or “Friends” keeps subscribers from leaving.
“The Witcher” released in December 2019, generated 57 times the average demand determined for all shows on all platforms measured by Parrot from January to April, making it one of Netflix’s biggest hits. Netflix has themselves come out and said “The Witcher “ was it’s ‘biggest season one television ever’.
In India, “Sacred Games” was determined by Parrot Analytics to be the most in demand digital original in India (in 2018) upon its release and for the next three months that followed.
Recently Parrot Analytics’ data was used for a campaign to save “Sendition”, a British period drama airing on ITV in UK and PBS in US.
Parrot’s clients include Amazon, AT&T’s, Warner Media, Google, the Walt Disney Co. and the CAA talent agency.
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