TVOD (transactional video on demand)
TVOD is pay-per-title streaming: you pay for the film or episode you want, and nothing else. It is the digital version of the video store, with a rental counter and a shelf of titles to own.
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TVOD is one of the three main video-on-demand models. SVOD charges a recurring fee for a whole catalog, AVOD is free to the viewer and paid for by ads, and TVOD charges for each transaction. There is no ongoing commitment: a viewer can make one purchase and never come back, or buy every week.
Rental vs electronic sell-through
TVOD comes in two forms, and many services offer both for the same title.
| Rental | Electronic sell-through (EST) | |
|---|---|---|
| What the viewer gets | Temporary access to one title | Ongoing access to one title in their library |
| Time limit | A viewing window, often starting from purchase or first play | None, as long as the service keeps offering it |
| Price | Lower | Higher |
| Typical use | Watch a new release once | Keep a favorite film or series |
Premium video on demand, PVOD, is a related term for new releases offered at a higher rental or purchase price, often early in their release. Exact windows and prices vary by service and title.
How TVOD makes money
TVOD revenue is the number of transactions multiplied by their price. There is no recurring base to lean on, so revenue tracks what is new and in demand. A big release can produce a spike; a quiet month produces a dip.
- Catalog freshness. Recent and exclusive titles drive most transactions.
- Price points. Rental and purchase prices, and the gap between them, shape which option viewers choose.
- Repeat purchase rate. Because there is no subscription, a service needs viewers to come back for their next title.
- Licensing costs. Content owners typically take a share of each transaction, which limits margins.
TVOD vs SVOD
TVOD suits content people want once and are willing to pay for specifically, such as new films and live events. SVOD suits content people want to browse and watch continually. TVOD needs no ongoing commitment from the viewer, which lowers the barrier to a first purchase, but it also means no revenue until the next transaction.
Many services combine the models: a subscription for the catalog plus paid rentals for premium titles, or a free ad-supported library alongside titles for rent.
TVOD in mobile apps
In an iOS app, a rental is a consumable in-app purchase and a permanent purchase behaves like a non-consumable one, though some services sell titles only on the web. App Store rules on digital content purchases and external links apply and vary by country, so check the current guidelines before planning a checkout flow.
For user acquisition, TVOD behaves like a transactional app rather than a subscription app. Campaign success is measured in purchases and revenue per user over time, not in trials or renewals. In Adapty Ads Manager, one-time purchases like these are reported as non-subscription purchases.
Related terms
TVOD is one of the monetization models that run on OTT delivery, alongside SVOD and AVOD. Non-subscription purchases and ARPPU are the closest app metrics to how TVOD earns.