The shade of OTT heydays

For those in their 20s and 30s, OTT is more common than TV. But for those aged 60 or older, it might still sound foreign.

Chung Jeh-wonThe author is the director of culture and sports news at the JoongAng Ilbo. There was a time when the winter season opened with a popular TV ad featuring a woman’s warm voice telling her husband that they should install a boiler (floor heating system) at their aged father’s home in a rural village. Heating is no longer a concern. But what worries the middle-aged today about their parents missing out on the latest indispensable technology could be over-the-top (OTT) streaming, as a lack of it means they are excluded from the riches of video content the younger generation enjoys without any restraint in space and time.

For those in their 20s and 30s, OTT is more common than TV. But for those aged 60 or older, it might still sound foreign. Elderly people today have hard time dining out due to the increasing self-order system. Now they must learn to “order” their favorite pastime of watching TV programs.

OTT refers to video content accessed outside of conventional TV, cable and satellite channels through sources connected to the internet. The term of “video on demand” (VOD), the delivery of video content at the demand of users, may sound too high-tech and out of reach for the aged. OTT offers a media alternative to traditional distribution means such as satellite and cable to access video streaming through purchase or subscription on smartphones, tablets, PCs and smart TVs that are connected to the internet. Streaming service providers include Netflix, Tving, Apple TV, Disney+, Wavve, and Coupang Play.

OTT streaming has come to replace the traditional video platforms like TVs and cinemas at a staggering pace. It has become a crucial pastime means by expanding its horizon from movies and TV series to sports and other entertainment. About seven to eight years ago, OTT was just an alternative and choice. Not many chose to watch a movie through Netflix. Up to then, most people depended on TV and theaters. Life without OTT was not uncomfortable.

But today, it is hard to join in a conversation if you have not watched a certain series on OTT platforms. Some series cannot be watched without subscriptions to specific providers like Netflix, Disney+ or Apple TV. (“Squid Game” is one example.)

Living without dramas is okay, but baseball can be a different matter for many men. Tving earned the exclusive contract for digital broadcasting of Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) league games. To watch KBO games on a smartphone, one must download the Tving app. Until last year, it was free to watch Korean professional baseball through the internet portal Naver. Now, baseball fans must pay minimum 5,500 won ($4) per month. If they want to skip ads, they must pay 13,500 won.

The 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season kicked off with a two-game Seoul series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres at Gocheok Sky Dome last month. It was Japan-born superstar Shohei Ohtani’s debut in the Dodgers uniform. Coupang Play won the sponsorship rights and sold tickets exclusively to Coupang members, which fanned the value of the tickets. According to a recent survey, Coupang Play’s daily average users numbered at 710,000 in early March, surging to 1.94 million on March 21, the day of the opening MLB game. Viewers doubled to watch the Ohtani’s game in Seoul. Tving users with an average of 1.51 million soared to 1.98 million on March 23 by the time KBO opened its series.

Having enjoyed the sports boon through the MLB game in Seoul, Coupang Play has invited Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for a match in Korea this summer to provide the unique spectacle of favorite Korean footballers Kim Min-jae and Son Heung-min pitted against one another in different uniforms. One must subscribe to a Coupang Wow membership that costs 4,990 won ($3.69) a month to watch the game.

Films, TV series and now sports games no longer are free. Payment for content has become a norm. We cannot blame Tving and Coupang Play for ruining our pastime.

But what about the older viewers? Must one be digitally literate to watch movies and sports games? A monthly fee of 5,000 won may not be big. But consumers with little income and digital knowledge also must be able to easily access OTT. The service providers must come up with more diverse subscription rates and make access easier.