Theaters to OTT, a wild shift in the wake of the pandemic. A mobile-first world, a world that has moved from movie theaters to TVs to consuming content on mobile phones and electronic devices anytime and anywhere they want. 

In all honesty, the attention span of humans seems to be reducing over time due to digital transformation because they always expect instant gratification. And OTT platforms are the need of the hour as they give us control over what we want to watch, when we want to watch, and even where we want to watch.

It is no doubt that OTT is the future of the entertainment industry, but with such popularity comes the great challenge of engagement. The best approach to keep the audience glued to your platform and make it as interactive as possible is through gamification.

What is OTT Gamification?

Before jumping into what OTT gamification is, let’s discuss what OTT is. 

OTT (Over-The-Top) is a direct-to-consumer video content platform with premium content and a superior experience for customers to stream on-demand, like Netflix, Disney+, Prime, Hulu, etc. 

OTT platforms are giving consumers the power of television with the agility, scale, and inventions of the internet. Simply put, it has given the consumer the power to pick and choose which products or services they wish to pay for.  

These OTT platforms not only extend the reach of existing content to new audiences but also increase audience engagement with new content experiences. 

Now, let’s talk about OTT gamification!

OTT Gamification is adding game elements to not just OTT platforms but also the content. Gamification means incorporating game mechanics into everyday non-game activities and, in simple terms, adding game elements to anything and everything for a rewarding and engaging experience. 

How OTT Platforms Use Gamification as an Engagement Strategy?

OTT is a byproduct of the expansion and exploration of digital media. It is anticipated to drive growth at a CAGR of 14.3% to reach US $86.8 billion by 2026.

OTT seized the chance to strategize the stagnancy of the conventional media market by engaging customers effectively with micro-targeted and personalized services. With numerous OTT players in the market, aiming to understand and offer services that cater to users’ demands is paramount.

 And to stay in and sustain the competition, many OTT platforms have taken a step ahead and implemented gamification to increase user interaction, better engage their audiences, and achieve a strong presence in the market. 

Let us look at some OTT platforms that successfully used gamification to increase user engagement.

Netflix

Netflix, the OTT entertainment giant, has always tried to use minor game elements that helped them glue users to their screens. And in 2018, they took gamification to the next level by introducing interactive storytelling with Bandersnatch. 

Disclaimer: No spoilers!

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

In late 2018, Netflix released its first-ever interactive movie, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. It is a choose-your-own-adventure movie, which gives the viewer interactivity by offering choices as the story progresses. It is a part film and part video game in which you are in total control.

The movie gives you (the viewer) chances to make choices for the main character, Stefan, who sets out to build a multiple-choice computer game based on a science-fiction book. You get to choose and make a decision at different intervals and based on these choices, the story arc twists and turns.

You Vs. Wild

Bear Grylls is one of the most recognized faces of survival and adventure. In Netflix’s “You Vs. Wild”, you (the viewer) will make critical decisions to help Bear survive, thrive, and complete missions in the harshest environment. Stay warm by running or stop and build a fire? When confronted with a crocodile, scare the beast away or silently float by it underwater, etc.

“Every jungle, desert, or mountain that I’m in… every decision is your decision. You’re going to dictate what I do.” – Bear Grylls. 

The brilliance of the show “You VS Wild” is its take on educating viewers on survival skills. Grylls taps into a form of gamification that users love by directly involving the audience, combining entertainment, education, and engagement with reward. The perfect recipe!

Netflix has also dedicated a section on its platform for easy-to-digest short-form content. The short clips are used to engage the users while suggesting shows or movies that might interest them. Due to the short attention span of digital viewers, this approach is doing wonders.

ZEE5

ZEE5, India’s digital entertainment platform, is one of the most preferred OTT platforms for streaming shows and movies. Over the years, ZEE5 has significantly progressed by harnessing the power of content, data, and technology. It is now leveraging innovative engagement through gamification.

They introduced ZEE5 Super Family (ZSF), a first-of-its-kind gaming experience for its viewers of fictional content, and it aims to connect India-wide content like never before.

ZSF: Unifying and Gamifying Users

The platform allows you to choose your favorite on-screen character across TV shows and create your superfamily. The best part is you can create a family with characters from different fictional shows. Interesting, isn’t it?

You can predict and place bets on the actions performed by these characters, and if your predictions come true, you could win exciting rewards such as gift vouchers, smartphones, etc. 

Watch and Earn

As part of ZEE5’s gaming experience, users can earn points by watching ads on the platform, allowing brands to monetize the audience that will engage with ZSF. It also provides customized brand integration, a great way to advertise to the masses. 

Disney+ Hotstar

The leader in the OTT space, Disney+ Hotstar, earlier known as (Hotstar), used many gamification elements to increase viewer engagement in the digital offerings.

Watch ‘N Play

In 2018, Disney+ Hotsar launched an immersive game, Watch’ N Play, for IPL(Indian Premier League). The goal was to engage everyone, from passive users to active players, and deliver an intense and engaging live cricket experience.  

Watch ‘N Play runs under the video stream, allowing users to engage with the match like no other. 

While watching the match, you can choose what you think will happen on the next ball and wait for the result. If you get it right, you can win points and redeem prizes with them. All this happens in real-time.

The game kept improving each consecutive year. Viewers could eventually invite friends and family from anywhere, irrespective of the location, to watch the matches and participate in the game. With Disney+ Hotstar’s social leaderboards, they could compete with each other and see where they stood against their friends and family.

Key Takeaways

#1 Sense of Empowerment with the Power of Choice

Users like to feel empowered and take charge—initiatives such as Bandersnatch and You Vs. Wild can provide users with a purpose through the power of choice, a sense of accomplishment with decision-making, and a scope for social influence among friends and family, which creates an overall positive experience.

Giving users the power to steer the narrative as they wish will make them invested and engaged in the OTT platform and the content. Having users commit to an experience through gamification can be highly beneficial and a game changer for your platform. 

#2 Delight Customers with Personalized Journeys

Gone are basic recommendations and profile data by conventional cable boxes. Today’s viewers expect personalized recommendations from streaming services and want to find the content to watch without wasting their time and energy finding it. 

Netflix has come close to mastering this process by creating a reputation for quality content and customized suggestions, making it effortless to find a show or movie to watch.

Collecting essential data about their devices, content preferences, and duration allows you to deliver a personalized experience for your users by making it convenient for them to get on and use your platform. This will make them return to your platform, increasing loyalty and retention.

Personalization is not only about tailored content but also about delivering value and improving your users’ experience at every step from all touch points. 

#3 A Rewarding Experience to Boost Loyalty

Rewards are a foolproof way to drive more conversions, increase engagement and boost customer loyalty. It is essential to transform your strategy into an interactive two-way street to build long-lasting customer relationships.

Develop a strong connection with your customers by offering rewards and creating memorable experiences. And what better way to create memorable experiences than gamification elements such as badges, progress bars, opinion polls, mini-games, etc.? 

You can also use referral programs to deliver an engaging and rewarding experience for your users by allowing them to ask and share their favorite movies or shows with friends and family. 

Conclusion

The concept of gamification has been around for decades, and technology has helped amplify it further in our always-connected, mobile-first world. This trend has broken creative barriers to hook users like never before. Video streaming OTT platforms have hopped on to this trend to open new possibilities in their engagement game. 

The above-mentioned OTT initiatives got everyone talking because they went beyond their role of just being video or content platforms and succeeded in hooking users throughout. OTT platforms have come a long way by leveraging gamification, personalizing the user experience at every touchpoint, and making their platforms and content as interactive as possible. 

The Upshot.ai Advantage

Upshot.ai is an omnichannel, user engagement, and gamification platform that helps digital product owners and marketers improve product adoption and conversions.

With Upshot.ai, banks, Insurance, and FinTech firms can enhance their digital experiences with pre-built gamification features. It can provide personalized insights, actionable recommendations, and contextual nudges designed to deepen its relationship with its users. Book a demo of the most comprehensive user engagement and gamification platform to achieve your digital product goals. Join our communities for more insights, guides, and best practices that keep you updated with proven strategies and tips to supercharge your campaigns.

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