In summary, it is hard to conclude that OTT’s impact in today's generation overall is not positive. Although, perhaps, it is not as positive in every area as everyone might like.
The removal of barriers to distribution and the resulting explosion in new kinds of content, as well as new ways of viewing it, are all boons for consumers. While there is concentration of share at the top of the OTT market, the opening of new markets to producers has led to greater revenues and value. There are legitimate concerns about the potential impact of globalized OTT programming on local culture, but these may be partially counterbalanced by the ability of anyone anywhere to become a content producer and showcase his or her local culture on a global stage.
The output of a billion content creators representing all manner of backgrounds, societies, cultures, and points of view in a way that was unimaginable 20 years ago—cannot be ignored. In this context, OTT has democratized both the production and the consumption of content to an extent never before seen. Is that sufficient to serve local societal and cultural needs and fulfill the objectives of policymakers? If not, how can policymakers support local content when the traditional regulations on supply don’t effectively apply to OTT? These are tough questions to answer, but it is absolutely clear that the evolution of consumers’ viewing habits and sources of content means that the traditional thinking about content creation needs to evolve as well.
All in all, OTT is an evolving story that bears close watching.