If you are exploring how to make money from video, you will encounter three acronyms: TVOD, SVOD, and AVOD. Each represents a different monetisation model. This guide explains them in plain English and helps you choose the right one.
TVOD — Transactional Video on Demand
TVOD is pay-per-view. Viewers pay a one-off fee to watch a single piece of content. This is the model used for live event streaming, premium sports, and special broadcasts.
TVOD generates the most revenue per viewer but requires each event to be individually marketed and sold. It works best when you have high-demand events that viewers are willing to pay for individually.
SVOD — Subscription Video on Demand
SVOD charges viewers a recurring fee for access to a library of content. Think Netflix or Disney+. Viewers pay monthly and get unlimited access to everything in the library.
SVOD works when you produce content frequently enough to justify the subscription cost. If you only stream a few times a year, viewers will cancel between events and the model falls apart.
AVOD — Advertising Video on Demand
AVOD makes content free to watch and generates revenue through advertising. YouTube is the biggest example. Viewers tolerate ads in exchange for free access.
AVOD requires large audiences to generate meaningful revenue. For community organisations with hundreds rather than millions of viewers, the revenue from ads is negligible. TVOD almost always generates more per viewer.
Which model should you use?
For community events, sports clubs, schools, and churches, TVOD (pay-per-view) is the clear winner. It generates the most revenue with the smallest audience and requires no ongoing content commitment.
Consider SVOD only if you stream weekly or more frequently and have a loyal audience willing to pay monthly. Avoid AVOD unless you have very large audiences or are using free content as a promotional tool for paid events.
TVOD made simple
PassCast is built for pay-per-view events. No ads, no subscriptions to manage. Just simple ticket sales for every event.
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