Shown at the 2022 OTT.X Summit are (L-R) Vizio's Katherine Pond, Cinedigm's Erick Opeka, Chicken Soup for the Soul's Phillipe Guelton and Fandango's Cameron Douglas.
Streaming Trade Group OTT.X Plots Ambitious Growth Agenda for 2023
February 9, 2023
OTT.X is gearing up for one of its busiest years ever, with membership at an all-time high and a record slate of more than a dozen programs, conferences and salons — more than last year — already scheduled for 2023.
“It’s a good time to be a trade association supporting the OTT ecosystem,” said Mark Fisher, president and CEO of the streaming industry trade association. “There are so many companies wanting and needing to work together to grow and enhance the burgeoning businesses of EST, PVOD, SVOD, AVOD and FAST, and to collaborate on efficient standards and practices.”
Fisher calls OTT.X a “very new, but very old” trade association. The not-for-profit incorporated in 1982 as the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA), supporting video rental stores. Since then, the group has evolved with the industry, as technology and business models have changed and transformed. The association rebranded to EMA (the Entertainment Merchants Association) in 2006 and OTT.X in 2020, refining its focus to Internet-based distribution of entertainment content and related products and services.
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Last year, Fisher said, OTT.X signed over 40 new member companies, bringing its membership count to nearly 120, twice as many as it had at its 2020 rebranding.
This year, he said, he’s looking to add another 40 to 50 new members and plans to focus recruitment efforts on the growing FAST ecosystem, as well as engaging companies headquartered outside the United States.
In addition to its regular members, OTT.X recently introduced a new professional membership category and is working with colleges and universities to drive student membership as well.
“While containing our focus on the overall OTT ecosystem, we welcome companies and individuals representing a broad range of interests within the space — from students, to new entrants in the workplace, to independently owned companies, to the market leaders,” Fisher said.
On the event front, OTT.X plans to host four tentpoles in 2023, including its second annual OTT.X X-Fronts marketplace, its fifth annual OTT.X Summit, its second annual Industry Strategic Review and Analysis, and its fourth annual Social Impact Awards celebration.
The OTT.X X-Fronts returns to the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles on May 23 and 24. These “Fronts for FAST” focus on building relationships between FAST publishers and their ad buyers as well as ad-tech. The event will include more than 20 presentations by FAST platforms and channels, as well as a conference program, breakout topical roundtable discussions, one-on-one business meetings, tabletop displays, cocktail parties and networking opportunities.
“Last year’s inaugural OTT.X X-Fronts exceeded all expectations, and 2023 will be even better,” Fisher said. “There’s great value in buying media against ‘enthusiast/niche,’ targeted FAST platforms and FAST channels, and newer and growing platforms — and these are the companies that will be showcased at our X-FRONTS.”
Next, on Aug. 30 and 31, OTT.X presents its annual Summit, also at the Skirball Cultural Center. The summit brings the OTT community together to focus on content, distribution and technology. A robust conference program will headline the event, which also includes one-on-one business meetings, a tabletop showcase, cocktail parties, and plenty of time to network with colleagues.
The third big event on OTT.X’s 2023 calendar is the Social Impact Awards celebration, held in early December. The awards recognize creators, producers, and channels that are using the power of streaming video to make a positive impact on society.
The final tentpole of the year is the OTT.X Industry Strategic Review and Analysis on Dec. 6. This conference brings the industry together to digest and dissect the most current data and analysis presented by leading research companies and analysts following the overall OTT industry.
Throughout the year, OTT.X also will stage an online conference (Online Live) on Nov. 9; three OTT.X Salons (Miami, New York City and Los Angeles), informal evening get-togethers with networking and a facilitated group discussion; and two OTT.X Roundtables (New York and Los Angeles), which are full-day events with multiple breakouts on important industry topics.
OTT.X also hosts breakfast sessions at both CES and NAB.
In addition, the OTT.X Wednesday Webinar series continues in its third year, and includes not only topical industry business presentations, but also presentations supporting leadership skills and diversity.
OTT.X also facilitates a variety of Common Interest Groups that meet regularly around shared interests, commonality, and goals and that are created for networking, exchange of information, development of new initiatives, or around other emerging opportunities. Existing groups include Ad-Supported Video, Women in OTT, Diversity, and Technology and Service Providers, with a Marketing group scheduled to launch soon.
OTT.X also facilitates the development of standards, specs, and best practices and hosts a variety of industry resources on its website including white papers, a glossary of industry of terminology, and its VOD library of panels and presentations.
While most OTT.X events and resources are open to anyone in the industry for a fee, employees of OTT.X member companies always have complimentary access. For information on OTT.X membership, contact Steve Apple at sapple@ottx.org.