A Conversation with Ludovic Bostral: Content, Monetization, and Everything in Between

by Oyku Er

Don’t overlook the importance of subscription models to monetize your content and services when launching your OTT service. In today’s crowded and ever-changing media landscape, it is a prerequisite to experiment with different approaches to succeed. In the first of our interview series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Ludovic Bostral to address the role of subscription models in the fiercely competitive streaming video market.


A learner, a wanderer, a creator. By all accounts, Ludovic Bostral is someone who wears many hats!
His journey in information technology started with the Amstrad CPC 6126 computer back in 1987, but did not end just there. Drawn more and more to the world of pop culture and video, he began working at M6 Video, perfecting their product development as their R&D manager.
His profound interest in video-on-demand and subscription based services culminated in Afrostream, “the African Netflix," but this adventure ended by 2017. Looking for what he should tackle next, Kessel was born — a space where authors can exercise freedom of expression while speaking directly to their readers, generating income without the constraints of economic pressure and proliferating clickbait. As someone who strives to explore, share and communicate, Ludovic has worked at Kessel since 2021, helping it become a haven somewhere between traditional media, publishing houses and social networks.

  • Thank you for joining us in this interview series. We’d like to begin with looking at various billing systems. What new payment methods are driving the OTT video market?

There are three payment options nowadays: firstly, credit card payments via Stripe or Adyen, a structured method many companies adopt. The second is mobile payment offered by telco operators, allowing anyone with a SIM card to make payments without submitting banking credentials or a credit card. It is only widely used in Africa (in countries like Kenya and Nigeria); while in theory, it can be applicable in many continents, mobile billing is not encouraged by mobile operators, especially in Europe.
Lastly,  cryptocurrency-based payment: a refreshing, new approach; in my opinion, the future of payment technology. What makes it so interesting is this option enables to build of token-based communities. The consumer can access an array of additional content related to the main content, such as digital collectibles, podcasts, and documentaries: and in some cases, interact with the producer. An example would be the French startup Uncut. Creators can create tokens (each containing special or additional content) and sell them to the public. It helps creators claim ownership and connect directly with the consumers, which is crucial for many reasons.
Again, this is a method just springing up (that is hard to implement for the moment), but I can see it becoming a prominent topic in the upcoming years.

  • What changes/ updates do you expect to see in OTT content monetization?

The way we consume content is rapidly changing. Just the content itself is not and will not be enough to entice customers or keep the already existing ones interested. One must outside the box, offer additional content that will liven up the audience, keep them interested and engaged. For example, Sorare -a company focusing on digital collectibles around football- has a compelling model. Their method revolves around 'Blockchain' where one can buy, sell, trade, and compete for prizes with digital player cards, which provides a deeper digital experience around the main content rather than consuming it passively. It is just one way creators can add value to the subscription.

  • OTT video subscriptions have infinite pricing options. How important are subscription/payment methods to garner a large subscriber base?

I cannot understate the importance of choosing the correct method. With so many options, customers will turn to other services even with the slightest inconvenience. In a nutshell: simplify the flow, and make sure it is smooth, straightforward, and tailored to the need of your customers. So, avoid any method that would get the subscribers to dwell for a long time to complete the process that should not be more than three steps (maximum).

  • Can you recount a challenge you faced while working on the payment part of the streaming service operation?

The difficulty, for the most part, is managing OTT churn with failed payments. It happens due to insufficient funds, stolen or lost credit cards, or the customer forgetting to update an expired payment method. Back in 2015, when I worked on this part of the service, it was a daily occurrence for us to handle OTT churn caused by the issues outlined, as the third-party payment solutions to get the updated bank information was not widely used. Nowadays, banks have the API to provide new banking information needed to update the payment method.

  • Thank you for sharing that with us! Let’s talk about creating a secure infrastructure. What are some key points to consider when it comes to building a reliable payment system?

Payment security is a complex issue, as the regulations are strict. The shortcut would be to choose a reliable third-party platform (like Stripe or Adyem) that respects all the security aspects by complying with the norms (such as RGPD). For example, the banking information is to be secured by a third-party platform. No one should have access to it. Whichever third-party you see fit, local or global third-party payment processor for your streaming platform, it would be beneficial to first and foremost make sure they comply with the regulations for the safety of your viewers.

However, for the platforms that adopt the mobile payment method, the situation is less complicated, as it does not involve many different actors for the operation to complete.

  • Lastly, what are your thoughts on Netflix's ad-supported tier?

I, personally, am not a fan of this method. I think ads disrupt the customer experience; if one pays to access content, it is only fair that the platform does not monetize the viewing experience. As a customer, I pay for streaming services such as Netflix so as not to be bombarded by commercials while viewing content. Another move could have been to provide a method to split the payment with friends or provide a mobile-only plan (an option offered only in Africa for now) that costs less than its regular plan.


This was truly meaningful! Thank you, Ludovic, for sharing your vision, time, and expertise with us!