Assessing the factors influencing the adoption of over-the-top streaming platforms: A literature review from 2007 to 2021

Internet access has changed media communication forever and reshaped the business models of mobile carriers and Pay-TV companies alike. A growing number of studies have addressed this trend emerging in the media and entertainment industry. However, a substantial part of this research lacks systemization and categorization and there is a tendency to start anew with every study. As such, it is imperative to assess current knowledge in this area. Today, consumers are increasingly expecting personalized content at their fingertips anytime and anywhere as companies such as Uber and Airbnb redefine on-demand access to services. Because of it, entertainment and media companies along with the entire value chain from content production to aggregation and distribution are undergoing unprecedented change in this direct-to-consumer (D2C) environment. This shift in media consumption is driven primarily by the rise of Internet driven, over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms that bypass the traditional distribution channels. Accordingly, a review of current literature spanning 2007 to 2021 identified twelve factors influencing the adoption of OTT platforms. This literature review is the first one in the domain of over-the-top media to identify the influencing factors across the streaming platforms. The factors included content, price, flexibility, convenience (perceived ease of use), perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment (hedonic motivation), desire to be freed from any constraint, entertainment value, socialization, culture inclusion, binge-watching, and self-efficacy that leads to the adoption of OTT streaming platforms.