OTT Sustainability: How the Streaming Industry Is Confronting Its Carbon Footprint

As the global demand for video content continues to surge, so does the environmental cost of delivering it. From data centers humming around the clock to millions of screens streaming in 4K, the OTT (Over-the-Top) industry is grappling with a growing carbon footprint.

But change is on the horizon!

OTT providers, platform operators, and infrastructure vendors are stepping up and greening the stream through innovation, efficiency, and transparency. This post explores how sustainability is becoming a defining priority for the future of OTT.

The Environmental Cost of Streaming

Streaming may feel intangible, but its impact is anything but.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), data centers and data transmission networks accounted for 1–1.5% of global electricity use in 2022, and are on track to consume even more unless mitigated by energy efficiency improvements. Video streaming is one of the largest contributors to this load, accounting for over 60% of internet traffic worldwide.

“At an individual level, the carbon footprint of viewing one hour of video-on-demand streaming (approximately 55gCO2e in Europe) is very small compared to other everyday activities.”
— Carbon Trust, “Carbon impact of video streaming”
Read it here

Energy-Efficient Content Delivery

One of the most effective ways to reduce streaming-related emissions is to optimize content delivery. This includes:

• Edge computing: By caching content closer to the end user, operators reduce the distance data must travel, lowering energy use and latency.
• Modern codecs: Formats like AV1, HEVC (H.265), and the upcoming VVC (H.266) allow for high-quality video at lower bitrates, significantly cutting down data consumption.
• Adaptive bitrate streaming: Dynamic adjustment of video quality based on network conditions helps avoid unnecessary bandwidth usage.

These technologies not only shrink the carbon footprint, but they also enhance user experience, making them a win-win for operators and viewers.

Green Cloud and Infrastructure

Many OTT platforms rely on cloud infrastructure to store, encode, and deliver content. Fortunately, the cloud is going green.

Major cloud providers are committing to carbon neutrality:

• Google Cloud has operated on 100% renewable energy since 2017 and is aiming for 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030.
  Google Cloud Sustainability
  
  
• Microsoft Azure is targeting carbon negative status by 2030.
  Microsoft Sustainability Commitments
  
  
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to run on 100% renewable energy by 2025.
  AWS Sustainability
  

For OTT providers, migrating to green cloud solutions is a tangible step toward sustainability without sacrificing scalability or performance.

Educating Viewers and Driving Awareness

While backend efficiency is critical, end-user behavior also plays a role in the overall carbon cost.

Some forward-thinking platforms are introducing eco-conscious user features such as:

• Eco-mode streaming options: Reducing resolution to save energy
• Carbon footprint indicators: Displaying estimated environmental impact of viewing
• Push notifications or UI elements encouraging Wi-Fi over mobile streaming

Netflix, for example, published a 2023 ESG Report where it detailed efforts to reduce scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, including energy-efficient encoding and smarter traffic routing.

These small nudges can lead to big cumulative impact, especially when multiplied across millions of users.

The Role of Platform Providers Like UniqCast

At UniqCast, we recognize the importance of embedding sustainability into the heart of OTT solutions.

In our recent article, OTT Technology: The Ultimate Guide 2025, we identified energy efficiency and sustainability as a top trend shaping the future of OTT.

Our approach includes:

• Optimized multiscreen delivery with minimal bandwidth usage
• Cloud-agnostic deployment, enabling use of carbon-neutral hosting
• Efficient transcoding workflows to reduce resource load

We believe platform vendors have a responsibility to help operators stream smarter and greener.

Sustainability as Strategy

Sustainability in OTT is no longer a fringe concern. It’s rapidly becoming a strategic priority that aligns environmental responsibility with technical innovation and long-term cost savings.

Operators that invest in green infrastructure, energy-efficient delivery, and user awareness tools are not only helping the planet, but they’re also future-proofing their business.