Yesterday I produced the Online Video Program at the NABShow in Las Vegas. It was a great day of learning, with 30+ speakers on 8 sessions focusing on the rise of OTT. There were many highlights, but to be brief, below I’ve summarized 5 soundbites that hit my radar:

Subscriptions to multiple OTT services on the rise
Parks Associates’ Senior Director of Research Brett Sappington presented on consumer perceptions of OTT subscription choices. Households taking 3+ OTT services grew from 10% at the end of 2016 to 15% at the end of 2017, the fastest-growing segment of the market. The multi-OTT subscription model is gaining momentum.

Voice comes to video
In my interview with keynoter Christy Tanner, EVP/GM of CBS News Digital, she said that the biggest trend in the coming year will be voice-based discovery and services. Christy also mentioned that a real differentiator for CBSN (the company’s 24x7 OTT news service) vs. traditional cable news is focusing on news and less punditry - this is what younger audiences want. That sentiment was later echoed by Colby Smith, VP, ABC News Digital. OTT may be poised to bring news back to center stage.

Linear TV still has life
Despite YouTube TV’s unlimited cloud-based DVR and its appeal to younger audiences, Google’s Principal, News & Local Media - Global Partnerships Rebekah Dopp noted that more than two-thirds of consumption is live and the most watched content type is news. Maybe there’s more life in linear than people believe.

Making sense of data
Everyone in the industry is talking about the value of data, but I liked how Univision’s SVP, Product & Technology, Scott Levine put it: “There’s plenty of data available…what we actually have is an insights to action problem.” I’ve heard this from others as well - mining the key nuggets to improve OTT services must be the priority.

Services aren’t locked to devices
In a sign of how users are consuming video wherever they want, Dwayne Benefield, head of PlayStation Vue said that usage on all non-PlayStation devices combined is now greater than on PlayStation itself.