By Sampath Mallidi, CEO of Revidd · October 2026
If you are a broadcaster asking what an OTT app costs, the honest answer is that it is not one number. It is a stack of cost lines, and the vendor quote usually shows only the first one. This page lists every line, says which ones are one time and which repeat, and gives you the questions to ask before you sign. We give no dollar total, because the total changes with your team, your region and your audience.
TL;DR: An OTT app for a broadcaster has seven cost lines: the apps, store accounts, video delivery, the content system, monetization setup, upkeep and people. Only two have a public figure we can verify: Apple's yearly developer membership and Google's one time Play registration. Everything else depends on whether you build or use a platform. Ask each vendor what is in the quote, what is metered, and what happens when you leave.
How much does an OTT app cost a broadcaster?
It costs the sum of seven lines, and most of the spend sits in two of them: the engineering to make the apps, and the upkeep that never ends. Delivery grows with your audience. Store accounts are small. Anyone who gives you one flat figure for a broadcaster OTT app before asking about your devices, content and audience is guessing.
We do not publish a dollar total here, and you should be wary of pages that do. The only figures on this page come from the store owners themselves, read on October 29, 2026.
What are the seven cost lines of an OTT app?
Here is the full list in one table. "Platform" means a white label OTT platform that supplies the apps and the back end.
Cost line | One time or repeating | If you build it | If you use a platform, ask |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Apps for each device | Build once, then repeat | A developer team per device family | Which devices are covered and who builds the apps |
2. Store accounts | Repeating | You open and renew each one | Whose name is on each store account |
3. Video delivery and storage | Repeating, grows with watch time | Cloud, transcoding and delivery bills | What is included and what is metered |
4. Content system and storefront | Build once, then repeat | Your own CMS, player and storefront | Is it part of the same quote |
5. Monetization setup | One time plus repeating | Ads, subscriptions and payments wiring | Which models and partners are supported |
6. Upkeep and recertification | Repeating, never stops | A standing engineering team | Who updates the apps when a device changes |
7. People | Repeating | Engineers, QA, support | How much of your team's time it takes |
What does it cost to build the apps?
Building apps costs engineering time for every device family, and that time is the largest line by far. A broadcaster that wants viewers on phones, the web and the main TV platforms is not building one app. It is building several, each with its own tools, its own rules and its own review.
For a TV audience that usually means Roku, Samsung, LG, Vizio, Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV, plus iPhone, iPad and Android. Each is a separate project. We cover the build route in how to build an OTT app and the full build side in the real cost of building an OTT platform.
With a platform, this line mostly moves to the vendor. Revidd ships native apps on Roku, Samsung, LG, Vizio, Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV, and says apps can go live in as little as 1 to 2 weeks, plus store review, which is outside our control. You do not need your own engineering team to do it. See the OTT apps page.
What do the app store accounts cost?
Store accounts are small, but they repeat. Two have a public figure.
Apple: the Apple Developer Program is US$99 per membership year, and prices may vary by region, according to Apple's enrollment page (read October 29, 2026).
Google Play: a one time registration of US$25, according to Google's Play Console help (read October 29, 2026).
For Roku, Samsung, LG, Vizio, Amazon and others, check each store's own developer pages. We did not verify a figure for them, so we give none. The question that matters more than the amount is who holds the account. If the vendor holds it, you may lose the app, its ratings and its installs when you leave. Ask for the account to be in your name, or for a written plan to transfer it. Ask your platform vendor whose developer accounts the apps are published under.
What does video delivery cost, and why does it grow?
Delivery and storage cost grows with watch time, so a good launch raises the bill. Transcoding and storage grow with how much content you load. Bandwidth grows with how long people watch. A live event or a busy weekend can spike it with little warning.
On a platform, some or all of this is built into the quote and some is metered. That difference is the one most buyers miss. Ask for it in writing: what is included, what counts toward a limit, and what happens at the limit. Our guide to OTT platform pricing models explains the four ways vendors charge, so you can compare quotes like for like.
What about the content system and the storefront?
You need a place to load, tag and schedule content, a player, and a storefront viewers can browse. Building these is its own project. On a platform they come with the quote, but check they cover your real catalog: series and seasons, several audio tracks, subtitles and region rules.
Revidd puts VOD, live and FAST channels in one platform, so a broadcaster does not need three tools for three kinds of video. If you are weighing that, read VOD, live and FAST in one platform.
What does monetization setup cost?
Monetization has a one time setup and then repeating parts. You choose how the app earns: subscriptions, pay per view, ads or a mix. Each needs wiring, testing and a partner or provider behind it. If you build, that wiring is your engineering time. On a platform, ask which models are supported and which partners you would use.
On ads, Revidd outputs SCTE-35 markers for your ad partners. Ask any vendor, including us, who handles the ads and how that work is charged, before you assume it is in the quote.
Why is upkeep the line most budgets miss?
Upkeep is the cost that continues after launch, and it is the one most first year budgets leave out. Device makers change their software and their rules. Each change can break an app or force a new review. You need someone to fix, test, resubmit and wait for approval, again and again.
If you build, that is a permanent engineering job. If you use a platform, it should be the vendor's job. Ask who does it, and ask for that in the contract. Our build vs buy guide walks through when each route makes sense.
What should you ask every vendor before you sign?
Ask the same eight questions of every vendor and compare the answers side by side.
Which devices are covered, by name?
Who builds the apps and who updates them?
Whose name is on each store account?
What is included in the quote and what is metered?
What counts toward a limit, and what happens at the limit?
Which monetization models and partners are supported today?
What does it cost in your team's time, week by week?
What can you take with you if you leave: your content, your data, your apps?
You can turn these into a formal request with our OTT platform RFP template.
When is another option better?
Building your own is the better choice if streaming technology is your core product and you can fund an engineering team for years. Then control is worth the cost.
A managed distribution partner is the better choice if all you want is your channel carried on third party free TV services. Amagi and Wurl specialize in that. Revidd lets you run your own branded FAST channels inside your own apps, but we do not place your channel on those services for you.
A YouTube channel is the better choice if you only need free reach and have no plan to own the audience or sell anything. We compare the two in own app vs YouTube for TV channels.
If your station wants its own apps on every major screen without hiring developers, a platform is usually the faster route. For a regional station, start with OTT platform for TV stations.
How do you get a quote from Revidd?
We scope it with you, because it depends on your devices, your channels and your audience. Book a demo and we will go through the seven lines above for your situation, and tell you plainly what is and is not in scope.
Revidd powers streaming that reaches more than 38 million viewers across 15 countries.
FAQ
How much does it cost to launch an OTT app for a TV station?
It depends on how many devices you cover, how much content you carry and how many viewers you reach. The cost is a stack of seven lines, not one number. The only public figures we can verify are Apple's US$99 yearly membership and Google's one time US$25 Play registration.
Should a broadcaster build its own app or use a platform?
Building puts the engineering and the upkeep on your payroll, and that is the largest cost for most broadcasters. A platform moves most of it to the vendor. Building makes sense only if streaming technology is your core business.
Do I have to pay for each app store?
Each store runs its own developer program and sets its own rules. Apple publishes a yearly membership and Google publishes a one time registration. Check Roku, Samsung, LG, Vizio and Amazon on their own developer pages.
Why does the cost keep growing after launch?
Two lines grow. Delivery grows with how much people watch, and upkeep grows with every device change you have to keep up with. Plan for both from the first month.
Who should own the store accounts?
You should. If the vendor owns them, you can lose the apps, ratings and installs when you leave. Ask for accounts in your name, or a written transfer plan.
What should a good quote include?
It should name each device, say who builds and updates the apps, say what is included and what is metered, and say what you can take with you if you leave.
