The willingness of people to consume paid services has significantly increased.

With more than 650 million subscriptions currently, audiences have moved beyond relying solely on free content.

This surging demand has prompted OTT streaming platforms to employ various approaches to drive conversions.

One such key tool is the video paywall, which encourages anonymous visitors to sign up. Essentially, a paywall keeps content hidden until a subscription or payment is made.

Unlocking subscription opportunities with a video paywall

By restricting access to copyrighted video content, a paywall prompts viewers to take a specific action before they can continue watching.  We are multi streaming platform providers in India

“Digital paywalls have been around for a long time on various websites and apps of different niches.”

However, nowadays, it has become an integral part of every streaming model aiming for increased conversion rates.

Implementing a paywall requires careful consideration as it can have a significant impact.

Strict access control might drive away users, while a lenient approach may hinder conversion rates. Thus, an optimal paywall should be implemented to ensure viewers don’t abandon the service but instead choose to sign up, leading to increased customer lifetime value. We are video platform providers in India

Hard paywalls completely prohibit anonymous access

This seldom-used access restriction model compels visitors to sign up or pay, or they are denied access altogether.

Online video platforms that have implemented hard paywalls typically limit video consumption to teasers or short previews.

By providing content access exclusively to genuine subscribers, platform owners and publishers leave users with no choice but to subscribe to watch the full video.

However, it is important to note that only 3% of market players utilise a hard paywall.

One major drawback of such strict access control measures is that they may discourage viewers from staying on the platform and prompt them to seek more liberal alternatives with less restricted content.

Softening video access restrictions with metered paywalls

On the other hand, we have the soft paywall, often referred to as the metered paywall. Unlike its rigid counterpart, videos protected by a soft paywall play for a certain time frame, such as 10 minutes, before prompting the user to sign up.

“Soft paywalls incentivize viewers to get a preview of the video they are about to pay for.”

By offering a limited glimpse of the content, the best video streaming platforms build anticipation among viewers, making them want to explore further.

In essence, publishers restrict content access based on two major factors:

1. Time-based metering
2. View-based metering

Soft paywalls are predominantly used by top online video platforms that prefer not to offer free trials but still want to provide users with a limited free experience.

Freemium walls attract high traffic influx

Before discussing what a freemium paywall is, it is important to understand that it differs from a free trial.

A freemium paywall prompts viewers to pay or subscribe only to access premium content, while the rest of the videos remain available for free.

“Modern-day OTT players adopt the freemium model for the flexibility it offers to audiences.”

In other words, both subscribers and non-subscribers can access the platform; however, paid users enjoy advantages such as ad-free content and unlimited viewing.

Dynamic walling is the future!

Personalised experiences are the undeniable key to viewer engagement and revenue.

Why neglect this aspect when it comes to prompting users to sign up?

“The future of OTT sign-ups highlights the emergence of dynamic paywalls.”

Dynamic paywalls work by analysing each visitor’s profile, considering metrics like pages navigated and time spent on each content, before asking them to subscribe.

In short, paywalls emerge dynamically based on viewer behaviour.

Considering the improved conversion rates, OTT platforms are likely to adopt dynamic paywalls sooner rather than later.

Scaling a loyal user base with minimal intrusion

In a world tired of invasive ads, paywalls elevate video revenue by monetizing through SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) and TVOD (Transactional Video on Demand) models without interrupting the viewing experience with commercials, whether for on-demand or live streams.

Furthermore, paywalls provide security for protected content, helping prevent piracy and unauthorised duplication of free videos.

Additionally, paywalls streamline the user sign-up and payment process by consolidating it into a single window, eliminating the need for users to navigate through multiple pages to subscribe or pay for content.

In conclusion,

It is crucial for streaming platforms to understand that video content locked behind a paywall should be valuable enough to justify payment.

While implementing a paywall can increase the chances of converting anonymous users into paid subscribers, the content being hidden must hold significant value, such as original shows, seasonal content, popular franchises, or virtual events.

Moreover, paywalls enhance brand presence, signalling that the platform offers rich and high-quality content worth signing up for.

Ultimately, a video paywall is an effective tool for building a loyal viewer base, generating consistent revenue streams, and ensuring the sustainability and growth of video streaming services. Therefore, incorporating an online video hosting platform with built-in paywalls is a wise decision for today’s streaming services to outperform their competitors.