How CDN and OTT Platforms Work Together
The OTT platform manages the service: content, subscribers, subscriptions, entitlements, applications, and business logic.
The CDN (Content Delivery Network) is responsible for efficiently delivering video streams to viewers.
A simplified workflow is:
Content → Encoding/Packaging → CDN → OTT Application → Viewer
When a subscriber selects a movie or live channel, the OTT platform determines whether the user is authorized to access it. The video itself can then be delivered through the CDN.
Separating platform management from video delivery allows each part of the architecture to perform its specialized role.
Operators that already have CDN infrastructure do not necessarily need to replace it when upgrading their OTT platform. A new CMS and application environment can be integrated with existing CDN infrastructure where technically compatible.