Navigating Peak Seasons in OTT Video: Engage Viewers and Cut Churn with Hi5

Peak seasons are golden opportunities for broadcasters to attract new subscribers and deepen viewer loyalty. Picture this: millions of fans eagerly tuned in for a much-anticipated sports match or the season finale of a beloved series. Everything seems perfect—until an unexpected issue like a payment failure or buffering arises at the worst moment. Viewers, already on edge, need immediate help. How you respond to these situations can make or break your brand’s reputation. A delayed response can quickly turn excitement into frustration, putting your platform at serious churn and reputation-tarnishing risk.

During high-stakes moments like peak seasons, seamless streaming performance is non-negotiable. But it’s not just about delivering content; providing top-tier customer support is equally essential. So, how do you ensure success when the pressure is highest?

The answer: a robust, scalable customer support system built specifically to handle the demands of live events and high-viewer traffic. In this blog, we’ll explore how Hi5 equips you to maintain smooth operations, even during intense viewing surges.

The challenges of high-demand periods for OTT broadcasters

Peak OTT seasons come with their own set of high-stakes challenges for broadcasters. Some of these include:

• Unpredictable traffic surges: A sudden influx of viewers during significant events often overwhelms streaming platforms. This sometimes leads to crashes, delays, or reduced performance.
• Downtime and platform issues: The pressure to maintain 100% uptime is immense, especially when millions are tuning in simultaneously. Any deviation from this expectation puts trust and reputation at stake.
• Extended wait times: When support agents are flooded with inquiries, wait times for viewers may spiral. In such cases, there’s massive pressure on live channels like phone support or chat to be fast and efficient.
• Support knowledge gaps: Not all support agents are familiar with all streaming-specific issues or the context of high-profile sporting games. Providing generic support experiences in such cases can alienate viewers when they need help the most.
• Multilingual support and global coverage: Delivering localized support across multiple languages and time zones for a global audience is essential, but achieving it requires more than just translation—it demands a deep cultural match to connect authentically with viewers.

Without the right tools to tackle these challenges, broadcasters risk unhappy customers, a tarnished reputation, and churn. This is where Hi5 comes in.

Hi5: Your support solution for peak seasons

With over a decade of experience managing OTT customer service for some of the world's largest live events, Hi5 is built with the fundamentals to keep streaming audiences engaged, happy, and subscribed. Here’s how it positions broadcasters to tackle peak season challenges effortlessly: 

Reliable, always-on support

Hi5 guarantees 100% uptime during high-demand seasons, offering 24/7 access to help centers, AI-driven chatbots, and OTT-experienced human agents. The system handles massive volumes with ease, eliminating long wait times by managing multiple inquiries simultaneously. Real-time analytics refresh every 30 minutes, enabling quick issue resolution and giving broadcasters peace of mind.

OTT experts at the helm

Hi5 agents aren’t just regular customer service reps—they’re OTT specialists with years of experience managing support for top streaming brands. They know the industry inside out to solve the challenges, while also adjusting to individual clients’ needs. More importantly, they understand the stakes.

Real-time performance, real-time peace of mind

Hi5 sets up dedicated “War Rooms,” where a specialized team monitors performance, chatbot flows, and customer inquiries in real time for major live events that come with significant peaks in traffic. This empowers broadcasters to react instantly, scaling up support as needed and preventing any issues from escalating.

Hybrid customer care combining AI and human touch

Hi5’s AI chatbot expertly handles routine inquiries, while experienced agents manage complex issues with precision and empathy. From technical challenges to language barriers, Hi5 meets every need efficiently, ensuring all viewers feel fully supported and valued. Hi5’s continuous investment in innovative technologies like Generative AI also enhances the support experience, ensuring the platform evolves to meet future needs.

Transforming support from a cost center to a value generator

Hi5’s focus on self-service and proactive support strategies translates to significant cost savings for broadcasters. By reducing the need for escalations and empowering viewers to resolve issues by themselves, Hi5 helps reduce operational costs while improving service quality.

With these strategies in place, broadcasters can rest easy knowing their viewers are in good hands, no matter how intense the demand. Read more: How to transform OTT customer care frustration into retention using Hi5 

Hi5 in action: Industry case studies

Understanding Hi5’s unique benefits, some of the biggest names in the industry trust Hi5 to handle millions of inquiries every day with precision and care. 

For instance, during Super Bowl LVIII 2024, the largest TV audience on record with 123.5 million viewers, Hi5 successfully catered to 51.2k help center active users and managed thousands of tickets. This included 2.3k total chatbot conversations, with an impressive 72% self-serve rate.

In addition to the Super Bowl, Cleeng has supported major events like MXGP Live, Daytona 500, and Big Ten Network peak matches, which drew over 2 million viewers, solidifying Hi5 as the go-to support system for the most high-profile sports and entertainment events.

Want more examples? Here’s what Marco S, Senior Manager at NFL had to say:

"A crucial element in managing NFL Customer Support is our collaboration with vendor partners. These partnerships have been instrumental in scaling support across millions of users, ensuring high-quality streaming for NFL+, reliability in fantasy football, and 24/7 access to NFL content. Working with Cleeng has streamlined our customer support operations, subscription management, offering fans simplified access, transparent billing, and a more robust self-service option."

Want to ensure your OTT support is prepared for every scenario of any size?