Integrations
Every OTT platform needs a set of third-party integrations. The key is deciding which are launch-blockers and which can wait. Here is the standard integration set and how to sequence them.
Book an integrations reviewBilling & Payments
Stripe for web/card payments. Apple IAP + Google Play billing for mobile subscriptions. App store billing is required when offering subscriptions inside iOS and Android apps.
Read more Launch blockerAnalytics & BI
Event instrumentation for content starts, completions, errors, search, sign-up, and purchase. Define your event taxonomy before build — retrofitting costs weeks.
Read more If AVOD/FASTAds (AVOD / FAST)
SSAI (server-side ad insertion) for seamless ad breaks. Requires VAST/VMAP compatible ad server. Adds DRM complexity — plan this in your content model phase.
Read more Near-launchCRM & Email
Subscriber lifecycle emails (welcome, trial ending, renewal, cancellation). Integrate CRM for audience segmentation and winback campaigns post-launch.
Read more Enterprise onlySSO (Enterprise)
SAML / OAuth2 SSO for B2B deployments or enterprise team accounts. Adds identity complexity — scope carefully and defer to post-MVP if consumer-only.
Read moreBilling & Payments
Required if monetized (SVOD / TVOD / hybrid)
- Stripe — Web and card-based payments. Handles subscriptions, trials, proration, and tax.
- Apple In-App Purchase — Required for any paid subscription offered inside an iOS/tvOS app.
- Google Play Billing — Required for any paid subscription inside an Android app.
You cannot use Stripe to sell subscriptions inside iOS or Android apps. You must implement platform billing for in-app purchases, and you can use Stripe for web-originated subscriptions.
Key decisions:
- Will you offer a free trial? (length, credit card required vs. not)
- Annual vs. monthly plans (or both)?
- Are promotional codes / vouchers needed at launch?
Analytics & BI
Required for every launch
Define your event taxonomy in Phase 1. The minimum event set:
| Event | Why it matters |
|---|---|
content_start |
Playback funnel entry |
content_complete |
Engagement quality signal |
playback_error |
QoS monitoring |
search_query |
Content gap discovery |
signup_complete |
Acquisition tracking |
purchase_complete |
Revenue attribution |
Common stacks: Segment + BigQuery / Redshift, Mixpanel, Amplitude. Choose based on your BI team's tooling.
Ads (AVOD / FAST)
Required only for ad-supported models
- SSAI (server-side ad insertion) avoids client-side ad blockers and provides seamless ad breaks.
- Requires a VAST/VMAP-compatible ad server (Google Ad Manager, FreeWheel, SpotX/Magnite).
- Adds DRM complexity — ads cannot override DRM-protected content streams.
- FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) channels require an EPG + SSAI + channel distribution deals.
CRM & Email
Required near launch (within 4 weeks)
Essential automated emails:
- Welcome email (post sign-up)
- Trial expiry reminder (3 days + 1 day before)
- Payment failure / dunning sequence
- Cancellation confirmation + win-back
Common stacks: Braze, Klaviyo, Customer.io, or Mailchimp for smaller volumes.
SSO (Enterprise)
Defer to post-MVP unless enterprise B2B is a day-1 use case
- SAML 2.0 for enterprise identity providers (Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace)
- OAuth2 / OIDC for federated login with consumer identity providers
- Adds significant identity management complexity — scope carefully
Not sure which integrations you need at launch?
We can help you separate launch blockers from post-MVP additions in 30 minutes.