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Published On April 11th, 2025 Media & Monetization
This blog helps you understand how to successfully build a video streaming website like Netflix – From identifying your niche and choosing the right video monetization model to building a user-friendly OTT platform and planning your content strategy. Gain valuable insights into subscription-based streaming, personalized recommendations, global expansion tactics, and innovation-driven features that make platforms like Netflix stand out.
Do you Know How Many People Watched Films Online Last Year?
467 Million, and at the same time, people who streamed videos on the video streaming website were about 1.5 Billion.
Once a wise man said, “You Stream it As you Mean it”
Like other household commodities, video streaming has become an indispensable part of entertainment. Over-the-top platforms which were once considered a luxury, have become an everyday affair these days.
Thanks to giant players like Netflix, Hotstar, YouTube, and others in the market who pioneered the video streaming business model.
For context, Netflix clocked $31.6 billion in revenue in 2022 alone with a net income of $4.4 billion. The streaming giant’s net worth has skyrocketed from $3.58 Billion in 2010 to $140.36B (as of March 2025).
YouTube, which runs a monopoly in the AVOD market, is worth between $140 and $300 billion as of 2025, according to Business of Apps.
Industry reports suggest that the OTT universe, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.2%, will grow from $149.34 billion in 2022 to $171.99 billion in 2025.
So, it is clear that OTT platforms have been all the rage in the last few years.
So, if you’re a content owner or content producer, creating your own OVP Video Platform like Netflix – in all likelihood – would fetch you handsome returns.
But, before getting into the business strategy of Netflix, you need to be clear about the Netflix business model and how it works?
Table of Contents
What is a video streaming website?
A video streaming website is an online platform that lets audiences view videos online in real-time playback without downloading by delivering compressed content. Streamed video content includes movies, TV shows, live streams, sports and YouTube videos.
What makes Netflix a successful video-streaming website?
Netflix is a successful video streaming website with millions of subscribers due to its subscription-based model (SVOD), vast content library of movies & web series, tier-based pricing, algorithm-driven recommendations, and user-friendly interface across devices to let users watch what they want anytime, anywhere.
- Fully Customizable
- Lifetime Ownership
- On-Premise/On-Cloud
- 100% White-label
- Zero Revenue Share
- Hire Developers
Subscription Based Model (SVOD)
Netflix’s recurring revenue from subscriptions enables sustainable investment in acquiring and investment in original content. Audiences enjoy unlimited, ad-free access, which increases engagement, reduces churn, and supports customer retention.
Video Library and Original Programming
Netflix produces exclusive origins and acquires diverse global content. This gives space for global reach while hit titles bring in new subscribers, drive brand awareness, and reduce dependency on other content providers.
Personalized Recommendations
Netflix leverages a powerful content recommendation engine with advanced algorithms that analyze watch history to deliver personalized suggestions. This enhances user engagement, session watch time, and overall platform experience.
Adaptability and Innovation
Netflix’s scale from a rented DVD service to a global streaming service giant, adopting offline viewing, leveraging AI, and continuous tech updates, has future-proofed the platform and boosted the streaming success rates across devices.
Global Reach and Locationization
Netflix has a global presence by offering content and UI in multiple languages. This strategy accelerates global adaptations, resonates with regional audiences, and helps Netflix to step into untapped markets for a wider audience reach.
How To Create a Video Streaming Website Like Netflix – Step by Step Guide
To build a video streaming app like Netflix successfully, you need a strong business plan, identify your niche and target audience, curate a diverse content library, build a user-friendly OTT platform, fix your pricing model, and effective marketing to reach the masses.
1. Choose Your Target Audience
The first and foremost question is… who is your audience
… how do you engage and entertain the users within your niche with the help of a VOD platform?
Creating content based on the target audience should be integral to your video streaming business strategy.
Before starting, consider critical factors like what your target audience will expect from your Netflix like video streaming platform.
They should include answering the following questions.
- Will you partner with third-party publishers or stream your content originals?
- Will your videos be a series or one-off episodes?
- Which business model are you going to choose?
- Will your videos be available for free or only for subscribers?
- What method of subscriptions would you follow?
Answering these questions will help you understand the type of content you will need to make a video streaming website like Netflix.
2. Decide your Video Streaming Website USP
Your Unique Selling Proposition is essential to make a video streaming website or app.
Define your USP in clear terms and project the same to your audience in the simplest way possible. A crystal clear USP gives you a unique competitive advantage over your rivals.
For example, advanced technology has been the USP of Netflix. It allowed the subscribers to watch any content anytime and anywhere across devices.
3. Find The Right Platform Provider
To begin with, it’s great to transfer the heavy lifting work to a professional OTT platform provider.
But there’s one problem.
The OTT platform-building industry is spoiled with too many choices.
How to pick the most suitable platform provider to create your video streaming website?
Well, first, get the basics right to make a streaming website/ app.
Watch out for crucial features like cross-platform accessibility, the quality of content delivery, live streaming support, VOD hosting capabilities, security tools, and so on.
For instance, at VPlayed, we build a video streaming app that lets you – distribute, manage, measure, and market your videos with your personalized decisions – in one place and offer different advanced features at an affordable pricing.
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4. Video Streaming Platform Features
The features and functionalities needed to start a streaming website, like Netflix, varies depending on the brand objectives.
However, these differences are significant in deciding the quality of customer experience.
So, here’s a pro tip.
Add multiple features like Video AES, watermarking, Video CMS, Real-time analytics, video monetization to the website without disturbing the minimal feel of the platform – this will go a long way in terms of increasing the user experience.
5. Video Hosting with Scalability
Scalability is one of the crucial factors for running a website like Netflix
So, be clear on where to host your videos, whether on-cloud or on-premises. When it comes to more volume of users the platform should address every individual query without crashing.
Your valuable video assets should have the security where on-cloud VOD hosting is dependent on third-party services, and on-premises is guaranteed by you.
6. Content Variety
Once your website like Netflix platform is built, you will stream the content to various audiences.
Now, you will have to choose the mode and genre of content streaming; broadly speaking, it can be of two types.
- You either use video content from other service distributors/providers
- Or would you stream the video content that you create by yourself?
Both options need legitimate licensing for public streaming.
Apart from this, you can also rent a streaming content from authorized distributors or contact the concerned entity for royalty rights.
This decision should be made, considering the demands and goals of your streaming business. Try to incorporate multiple choices of content for the audience to consume.
7. Choosing the Right Monetization Model
Speaking of how you will capitalize your content market on a video streaming website, you have to have many options to monetize your on-demand video streaming business.
To begin with, you can make money with videos by offering users subscription plans like SVOD, allowing them unlimited access for a specific duration.
Next, you can embed ads into your videos like AVOD & earn profits, or you can provide content on rental or lifetime access for your users with a one-time payment, which is pay-per-view.
In addition, you can also consider hybrid models, catch-up TV, SSAI and CSAI for maximum return on investment.
8. Addressing the Security Question
Security is one area where you need to make zero compromises. Beware of the potential security concerns of the content while figuring out how to make a video streaming website secure.
Consider the following to ensure that your video streaming services are safe.
- 24*7 monitoring with content availability from servers
- Domain restrictions to prevent link embedding & use elsewhere,
- Geo-region restrictions in regards with broadcast licensing,
- Watermarking to provide security in live streams
- Multi-DRM support to curb piracy
- Video AES and SSO login
VPlayed: The Frontrunner In Video Streaming Business
VPlayed ranks at the top as the complete video streaming website provider offering streaming and hosting functionalities and user-friendly customization of the entire platform, best-in-class video content management system, security features, and multiple video monetization models with zero commission.
Let’s dig deep into what VPlayed holds to know why it is a perfect fit for your business.
Key Features to make a Video Streaming Website
To build a streaming website like Netflix it is essential to take the right features with optimal performance.
1. Video Content Management
Upload, organize, manage and market with a simplified CMS that facilitates drag-and-drop features, auto-scheduler and an organizer for hassle-free video delivery.
2. Video Distribution
VPlayed is the best video CDN provider for seamless video content distribution,with quick delivery of video content to the right audience at the right time across multiple platforms with much scalability.
3. Intuitive Player
One of the best in-built dynamic HLS video player is enabled in the video streaming with multi screen compatibility and 4K resolution for an unmatched streaming experience.
4. Cloud Transcoding
The video transcoding feature cuts the cost by transcoding the media files from the source format to the format the user demands.
So your subscribers will experience the highest quality playback with zero stutters.
5. User Profile Management
Personalization from the beginning with complete customization access to user profile and secure SSO login to protect credential details.
6. Playlist
Make your own statement–Create, customize & schedule everything you need to watch or select “most liked” content, to add subtitles, to change resolutions and listen on the go through personalized playlist features, these features help enhance user experience.
7. Subscription and Payment Gateway
Once the free trial experience ends, users can choose from various membership plans like SVOD, TVOD, AVOD and pay-per-view and securely pay via Stripe, Paypal, Braintree, and other payment methods. Enabling different payment options is a great way to ease the user experience.
8. White Labeling Support
Create a branded video streaming website with white-labeled services to enjoy lifetime accessibility, empowering with surplus revenue and individual platform for yourself.
9. Effortless Sharing on Social Platforms
VPlayed makes video marketing much easier to broadcast live streaming or on-demand services in the social media circle delivering spectacular global streaming and marketing options.
10. Video Streaming Analytics
Hold the control of your video channels, videos and the entirety of streaming apps or platforms – just like Netflix.
To understand how video works globally, what works and what does not — study videos right from every streaming session, individual viewing experience, real-time actionable data & manage them effectively.
11. Subtitle and Closed Caption Support
With the global expansion of videos, subtitles are crucial for understanding the voices of narrators, characters, & other voicing participants.
Captions will help your focused global audience relate to content delivered in video streaming apps like Netflix.
How To Monetize Your Video Streaming Website/App (With Up to 4X ROI)?
The most critical aspect of the VOD business is monetizing your videos.
After all, businesses are profit-driven, and everyone loves making some extra money.
So, before getting started, you need to understand the fundamentals – your target audience, the market, and the genre of your content – and adapt the most suitable monetization model accordingly.
Some of the most followed monetization models with high revenue standards for a VOD platform are:
- Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD)
- Advertisement Video on Demand (AVoD)
- Transactional Video on Demand (TVoD)
The following factors are crucial and should be considered before finalizing your monetization strategy.
1. Subscription
Monetize your content with monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, and annual subscriptions with an SVOD platform.
Not to mention, it is the most lucrative monetization model followed by the likes of Netflix and Disney plus.
2. Pay-Per-View
Every penny counts when it comes to business. And this is precisely the idea behind the ‘pay-per-view’ or Transactional Video on Demand (TVOD) monetization model.
You can rent your videos for a limited time or offer lifetime accessibility to your subscribers. Monetize videos in a single shot altogether.
3. Advertising
What is AVOD? Advertising Video on Demand(AVOD).
As the name suggests, advertising revenue accounts for most of VOD income.
Advertisements are displayed in pre, mid, and post-rolls on/over your videos when played. In addition, you can have overlay ads on banners & scrollbars to shore up revenue.
Youtube is the best-known example of the AVOD model.
4. Catch-Up TV
Stream the missed episodes of TV shows, serials, and videos according to your audience’s favorite list. Then, allow users to watch in their own space with a flexible fee allotted for a specific period.
This can get you broad engagement, particularly when users miss previous seasons in conventional box sets.
5. Coupons & Promotion
We are in a world filled with offers, coupons, and promo codes for almost every product purchase. And this monetization model banks on the same for revenue generation.
You can profit by releasing new videos available to targeted audiences on special occasions. By this you can create many opportunities much higher than the usual ones to reap maximum dividends.
6. Third-Party Ad Integration
Host content related to ads and deliver them directly to your user base mobile apps and websites. They allow you to optimize ad campaigns & fetch detailed reports on your traceable ad-serving activity.
You can collaborate to scale your platform performance and by monetizing efficiently.
7. Hybrid Models
Hybrid video montization platform are now becoming more common for video streaming business elevation.
Combining pay-per-view models with some alluring sponsorships can add more value to your existing business model. Also, offer premium recordings with active participation options to users.
Security Features to build a Video Streaming Website
While making a video streaming website it is imperative to address security challenges which are becoming increasingly common in the technology-driven economy.
Some of the never-ignore safeguarding measures to protect your streaming infrastructure are listed below:
1. IP Based Access Control
Allowing viewers based on geographical location to experience content and to prevent unauthorized entry.
2. Multi DRM Platform
This allows you to control your videos using video security DRM systems, shield your premium platform with key content copyrights & seal unauthorized entries.
3. Token Security
Accessing the video streaming website through a physical, electronic key with an enabling password.
4. AES Encryption
Among multi-tier security protocols, AES encryption using 128/256-bit crypto keys can help you to keep your data protected and keeps them away from prying eyes.
5. Watermarking
Prevent your video content from redistribution and re-publishing on any other platform through the finest watermarking technology.
6. Payment Security
Ensure a 360-degree payment security protection. VPlayed is integrated with the world’s safest payment gateways for an effective payment transaction on the video streaming website.
7. Screenshot Prevention
Basically, images with screenshots and screen recordings can now be made absolutely blurred or disabled, making it an ideal solution to win over data leaks, video piracy, and acts of infringement.
8. Restrict Simultaneous Logins
Curtail limitations to accessibility for every login credential based on a monitored login credential system. You can now easily control views in concurrent streams based on asset level.
What Makes VPlayed Stand Out From The Crowd?
The reasons are aplenty.
For instance, every brand wants to build a niche audience in a market driven by personalization.
VPlayed, on the other hand offers many customization options– from user experience to end-to-end analytical dashboards for performance tracking – everything in one place.
In addition, VPlayed’s White label OTT platform offers an enterprise-grade application to build video streaming websites, Netflix or YouTube. Everything is etched with your own brand name.
How Much Does It Cost To Create a Video Streaming Website like Netflix?
Generally, the cost to create a video streaming website like Netflix depends on several factors, like the customization of functionalities, features you demand, and security features.
Some factors considered are development, online video hosting, device fragmentation, design, and video player.
Being the best-in-the-business VOD streaming platform provider, VPlayed offers a one-time payment for the entire video streaming platform. This helps to prevent fret of subscription-based video streaming possibilities.
This includes a robust video streaming server, helping to prevent the fret of subscription-based video streaming possibilities.
Wrapping Up
As internet based video consumption increases, the demand for unique content will also increase.
The skyrocketing market cap of Netflix ($24.745 trillion) and YouTube ($455 Billion) are live examples of how much money can be made by broadcasting unique content with the right approach.
Remember, Netflix wasn’t built overnight! It took years of meticulous planning, execution and learning, to reach the position.
However, the market is still far from saturated (with a 21.5% CAGR).
And there is ample amount of scope for newcomers like you to join the bandwagon and build a profitable streaming venture.
So, what do you need?
A carefully crafted business strategy, proper execution, and a world-class best online video platforms provider.
So, why wait?
Get started here.
- Request Demo Book a Live, Personalized Demo
- Contact Sales Reach Out to Our OTT Experts
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
To make a Video Streaming Website Like Netflix, invest in the following steps below,
1. Define your goals and do a market research
2. Build video streaming features
3. Select a video streaming platform provider
4. Invest in video streaming security features
5. Focus on video monetization models
Creating a video streaming website is a complex, sophisticated task without a doubt. But here are some general steps that may get you started.
1. Plan your content ahead.
2. Create content that caters to your target audience.
2. Define the USP of your video streaming website.
3. Choose the right platform provider.
4. Determine the features needed for your video streaming platform.
5. Secure a reliable, scalable video hosting provider.
6. Ensure the content is available 24*7 to your target audience
7. Select the right monetization model to suit your needs.
8. Address the security question with technologies like multi-DRM, AES 256 encryption, and SSL certificates.
The Average cost of building a video streaming website ranges from $15000-$30000. But the price range may increase based on the add-on features, design, hosting, and platform used for building the video streaming website. Maintenance cost is a separate space.
Netflix charges its subscribers a monthly subscription fee to access all of its content. This subscription allows users to stream videos, television shows, and other content on Netflix. In addition to this, Netflix also makes substantial money from advertisements and merchandise sales.
Monetizing video content is unarguably one of the most popular ways to earn money online. One can do it by following various methods like advertising, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, selling products, services, or digital downloads. Additionally, content creators can also create and sell their own merchandise, offer virtual classes, or host webinars. So with the right set of strategies, you can make a lot of money from monetizing video content.
The essential features that a video streaming website needs to have are fast loading speeds, reliable streaming, multiple video formats, secure authentication, and so forth. Plus, add-ons like cloud storage, accessibility on multiple devices, streaming analytics, and adaptive bitrate streaming are good-to-have features too.
To create a streaming video website, start by planning your content and defining your unique selling proposition. Choose the right platform provider that aligns with your goals and incorporates essential features for user engagement. Focus on video hosting, ensuring seamless content availability. Finally, choose the right monetization model to sustain your platform’s growth and success.
The Benefits of Creating a Netflix-like Video Streaming Website are numerous, some of the major ones are monetization benefits, global reach and branding of your product , personalized video recommendations, celebration of art and the creative freedom to host your content without censorship-related concerns or without any platform restriction protocols. Business owners from media and content creators can highly benefit from building a Netflix-like Video Streaming Website or application.
