Every broadcaster, rights holder and media brand thinking about streaming hits the same question early on. Do we build our own OTT app, or buy a platform that already works?

Building feels like the bold choice. You own everything and nobody else sets your roadmap. But the launch is the easy part. Keeping an app alive on every screen your audience owns, for years afterwards, is where most of the cost hides.

Here's an honest look at both routes, and how to work out which one is right for you.

What building really takes

Audiences don't watch on one device. They switch between their phone on the commute and the big screen at home, and they expect your app on both. That means separate apps for iOS, Android, smart TVs, streaming sticks and games consoles, each with its own quirks.

Behind those apps you need video delivery, a content management system, payments or ad insertion, analytics and a login that works everywhere. Then you need people who know how to build all of it. Most in-house projects need a dedicated team and a year or more before the first viewer presses play.

The costs nobody budgets for

The build is a one-off. The upkeep never stops.

Apple and Google update their operating systems every year. TV makers change their app store rules. A new device takes off and your audience wants you on it by Christmas. Each change lands on your team's desk, usually at the same time as the big live event you've been planning for months.

Then there's the stuff viewers never see but always notice when it breaks: playback bugs on one specific TV model, and accessibility rules that keep getting tighter. A platform provider spreads that work across dozens of customers. Build it yourself and you carry all of it alone.

When building makes sense

Building can be the right call if streaming is your core product and you have the budget to treat it that way for the long haul. Think of the global giants with hundreds of engineers and a product that nobody else in the world needs.

If you're doing something genuinely new, the kind of experience no platform could support, owning the whole stack might be worth the cost. Just go in knowing it's a permanent commitment, not a project with an end date.

When buying makes sense

For most broadcasters and sports bodies, streaming is how they reach their audience, not the thing they sell. Their edge is the content and the relationship with fans.

Buying lets you launch in months rather than years, on every device from day one. Your team spends its time on growing the audience instead of chasing the latest TV software update. And costs are predictable, which makes the conversation with your board a lot easier.

Questions to ask before you decide

Before anyone writes a line of code or signs a contract, get the right people in a room and answer these honestly.

How quickly do we need to launch? If there's a new season or a rights deal kicking in, a build that takes a year or more simply won't make it. Buying gets you live in months.

Who looks after it in year three? Launch budgets get signed off easily. The harder question is who's still fixing bugs and supporting new devices long after the launch buzz has worn off, and who's paying for it.

Where do we want our people focused? Every engineer working on video players is one not working on what makes you different. For most media businesses, that's the content and the audience.

What happens if a key developer leaves? In-house builds often depend on a small group who know how everything fits together. Lose one of them and you can lose months.

The middle ground

Buy versus build isn't quite the either/or it used to be. The old worry with off-the-shelf platforms was that every app looked the same and you were stuck with someone else's roadmap.

That's not how it works with Simplestream. We give you a proven platform and apps on every major device, then shape them around your brand and the way you make money. You get the control that makes building tempting, without the years of work or the team you'd need to keep it running. And when the next device or OS update comes along, that's our problem, not yours.

How GAA+ does it

The GAA's streaming service, now GAA+, serves Gaelic games fans at home in Ireland and right across the global diaspora. When the GAA and RTÉ wanted to revamp it, they brought in Simplestream rather than taking on the build themselves.

Today GAA+ streams more than 180 live games a year, with full match replays ready the next day. Fans can watch on their phone or on the big screen, with apps on Apple TV, Google TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung and LG.

The platform has kept moving too. GAA+ recently rolled out its next-generation apps alongside a round of accessibility upgrades. That's exactly the kind of ongoing work that eats up an in-house team, handled for them so the GAA can stay focused on the games.

[Optional: short quote from the GAA on why they chose a platform partner. Check with Muiris.]

So, build or buy?

Ask yourself one question. Is building streaming technology what you want your business to be good at?

If the answer is yes, build. If you'd rather put your energy into content and audiences, buy, and pick a partner who'll give you the flexibility to make it your own.

Talk to our team about launching your streaming service.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to build an OTT app?

Building from scratch usually takes a year or more before you're live on the main devices, and that's with an experienced team. Launching on an existing platform can take a matter of months.

How much does it cost to build your own OTT app?

The upfront build is only part of it. The bigger cost is the team you need to keep it running, updating it for new operating systems and devices year after year. That ongoing spend is what most budgets underestimate.

What is a white label OTT platform?

It's a ready-built streaming platform and set of apps that carry your brand, not the provider's. Viewers see your service. The provider handles the technology underneath.

Can I switch from an in-house app to a platform later?

Yes, and plenty of broadcasters do once maintenance starts eating into the budget. A good partner will help you move your content and audience across without a painful gap in service.

Will my app look the same as everyone else's?

Not if you choose the right partner. The platform does the heavy lifting, but the look and the way you make money should all be yours.

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