How pay-per-view works
The viewer buys a ticket before or during the event. The purchase unlocks that stream on their account for the duration of the event, and often a replay for a set period afterward.
The term comes from cable and satellite television, where an event was ordered through the set-top box. On a streaming service the same sale happens on the web or in an app, and access is tied to the account rather than the box.
Pay-per-view vs TVOD
Pay-per-view is one kind of TVOD. TVOD covers every one-time sale, including rentals and purchases of on-demand titles. Pay-per-view normally means a ticket to something scheduled, where everyone watches at the same time.
What a PPV event needs
- Capacity for a sharp peak: most buyers arrive in the minutes before the start
- Checkout that stays up under that peak, on every device you sell on
- Stream protection, since a live event is the content most often restreamed illegally
- Limits on simultaneous streams so one ticket is not shared widely
- A replay window for buyers in other time zones
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