# Over-the-Top

**Acronym:** OTT  
**Category:** general  
**Short Description:** Streaming media services delivered directly to viewers via the internet, bypassing traditional distribution.  
**Last Updated:** 2026-05-30T00:00:00Z

## Definition

Over-the-Top refers to streaming media services that deliver content directly to viewers over the internet, bypassing traditional cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms. OTT enables viewers to access content on-demand across various internet-connected devices.

## Examples

- Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+
- Video-on-demand platforms
- Internet-based live TV services

## FAQs

### What is over-the-top (OTT)?

Over-the-top refers to video content delivered directly over the internet, bypassing traditional cable and satellite TV — streaming services like the major subscription and ad-supported platforms. 'Over the top' means it rides over the internet on top of any provider, rather than through a traditional TV distributor. OTT is how a growing share of audiences now watch premium video content.

### What is OTT advertising?

OTT advertising places ads within streaming video content delivered over the internet — typically on ad-supported streaming tiers and apps. It brings TV-style video ads to streaming audiences with digital advantages: audience targeting, measurability, and addressability that traditional linear TV lacks. As viewers shift from cable to streaming, OTT advertising lets brands reach them with premium video in that environment.

### What's the difference between OTT and CTV?

OTT (over-the-top) describes the content delivery method — streaming video over the internet, on any device (phone, tablet, computer, TV). CTV (connected TV) describes the device — a TV connected to the internet (smart TV or streaming device) used to watch that content. OTT can be watched on many devices; CTV specifically refers to the television screen. CTV is a subset of how OTT is consumed, and the two terms are often used together.

### Why is OTT advertising growing?

Because audiences are migrating from traditional TV to streaming, and ad-supported streaming tiers have expanded the available ad inventory. OTT offers brands the impact of premium, full-screen video with digital targeting and measurement, reaching cord-cutters and lighter linear-TV viewers that traditional TV can't. The combination of shifting viewership and improving targeting/measurement makes OTT a fast-growing channel for video advertising.

### How is OTT advertising targeted and measured?

More like digital than linear TV: using audience data (demographics, interests, sometimes first-party and household data) for addressable targeting, and digital measurement for impressions, completion, reach/frequency, and increasingly outcome attribution. It bridges TV-style brand impact with digital accountability — though measurement standards are still maturing, and walled-garden platforms vary in the data and attribution they provide.

## Related Terms

### Similar Terms

- **[Connected TV](/resources/glossary/platform/connected-tv-ctv)**: The device category that enables OTT viewing

### Component Terms

- **[Video Advertising](/resources/glossary/creative/video-advertising)**: Key monetization method for OTT content