Anyone who has compared OTT platforms over the past few years has run into two different schools of thought. One says the fastest way to a reliable streaming service is a single, connected platform that already does everything. The other says the smartest way is an open ecosystem, so operators can choose the best available vendor for each part of the job.
Magine Pro built the first. Accedo One built the second. Both were good bets, and both earned the customers they built.
What an end-to-end platform gets right: Magine Pro
Magine Pro's strength was in the end-to-end promise of “one partner, ready to go”. A working video platform with multi-DRM and SSAI, a billing engine handling SVOD, TVOD and AVOD in one service, and a fully functional subscription management service. All of these were included on native apps managed through a CMS across web, mobile and connected TV.
For an operator focused on launching and running a service without assembling a technology stack first, that completeness was the whole point, and it worked. Services built this way didn't need a procurement process before they could go live.
They needed a platform, and Magine Pro was one.
What a best-of-breed platform gets right: Accedo One
Accedo One's strength was in flexibility. Through its marketplace of pre-integrated partners, operators could bring their own OVP, DRM, billing or analytics vendor - or even their own in-house system. All vendors were connected through Accedo One's no-code editor and configuration tools.
For operators who already had preferred vendor relationships, this was exactly the kind of control that mattered. It meant that a streaming service could evolve its stack as its needs changed, without being tied to any one vendor's roadmap.
Why streaming services tend to need both
The interesting thing is how often operators ended up wanting a bit of each. A service in its first year usually wants to launch quickly with a platform that already works. The same service two or three years later has usually developed clear preferences: a particular ad server, a specific subscription management provider with advanced monetisation features, or a more powerful video engine.
Magine Pro and Accedo One each answered one half of that well. Bringing the two together was about recognising that operators don't stop needing completeness once they start needing flexibility, or the other way round.
Closing the gap: Leyra
Leyra is what that combination looks like. At the core, Leyra carries forward Magine Pro's engine: video content management, user and subscriber management and billing. On top of this, Leyra carries forward Accedo One's front end: flexible apps, the no-code editor operators use to shape and run their service, and the marketplace, now covering more than 200 integrations across upwards of 45 partners.
In practice, that means a service can launch on Leyra's own end-to-end engine, and later add e.g. Brightcove for video or Cleeng for subscription management without re-platforming the apps. The branding and layout controls that Accedo One was known for apply regardless of which vendors sit behind the scenes, so a more intricate brand identity is never limited by which components are active in the stack.
Magine Pro, Accedo One and Leyra capabilities compared
| Capability | Magine Pro | Accedo One | Leyra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor model | Single vendor, proprietary stack. Operators launch quickly on a core offering. | Best-of-breed marketplace; operator selects and contracts each vendor. | Built-in core stack by default, with an open marketplace to add or replace components. |
| Video platform | In-house OVP with AWS Media Services, multi-DRM, SSAI. | No native OVP; connects to Brightcove, JW Player and others. | In-house Leyra OVP by default; Brightcove or JW Player available via marketplace. |
| Billing & monetisation | Built-in engine: SVOD, TVOD, AVOD, Stripe, Adyen, PayPal, in-app purchase | Connects to Cleeng, InPlayer, MPP Global (Aptitude) and others | Built-in engine by default; Cleeng, InPlayer, MPP Global and Akamai Identity Cloud available via marketplace |
| Design & branding | Configurable themes, colour palettes, fonts | No-code editor with a wide range of design templates and upgrades to further customisations. | No-code WYSIWYG editor with granular branding and layout control. |
| Marketplace / third-party ecosystem | None; single-vendor model | Core proposition; 50+ pre-integrated vendors across the OTT ecosystem. Custom integrations possible. | 200+ integrations across 45+ partners spanning OVP, DRM, billing, advertising and analytics. Custom integrations possible. |
| Analytics | Built-in KPI dashboards plus GA4, GTM, Firebase | Delivered through marketplace integrations: GA4, Conviva, NPAW, mParticle and others | Built-in KPI and Insights dashboards, plus marketplace analytics partners |
Our journey, six months into building Leyra
When we introduced Leyra back in March, we were clear that this was the start of a journey rather than a finished product. Half a year on, that journey has moved quickly.
The most significant milestone:
Magine Pro and Accedo One have gone from two separate technology platforms to one single, intuitive product: one login, one user interface, one Leyra.
In addition to this, our teams have been busy adding new features to enable customers to reach, engage and monetise new audiences, such as:
- Maestro's interactive visualisation tools are now integrated into the platform.
- Android apps built on Leyra can now be offered in the Galaxy Store.
- Introductory and retention offers provide new ways to attract and retain subscribers.
To come soon: new content types such as text articles, audio and vertical video!
Alongside the product work, a steady stream of new customers have joined the platform, benefitting from the new combined feature set.
With end-to-end vs best-of-breed in mind, what should you look for when comparing vendors?
The right model usually comes down to two things: how quickly you need to launch, and how likely your requirements are to diverge from a standard build as the service matures. Those two factors don't always point the same way, which is why it's worth being specific about what each model suits rather than choosing one by reputation.
- End-to-end on its own suits you if: you know the scope of your service isn't going to change. A single yoga studio running one subscription tier, or an individual creator with a defined audience, doesn't need a marketplace it will never use. Simplicity and a fixed, predictable cost matter more than optionality here.
- Best-of-breed suits you if: you already run an established service with specific and possibly complex requirements, and you have the team to manage several vendor relationships.
- The combination suits you if:
- You are an operator needing a best-of-breed set-up. The combined offering will suit you too, and give you additional options to downgrade if so desired.
- You only need a core offering to launch quickly and affordably, but have ambitions to grow and extend the service in future.
- For both groups, the value is being able to add or swap vendors later as specific requirements come up, without rebuilding the service to do it.
Magine Pro and Accedo One each proved their model worked, and each built a loyal customer base doing it. Leyra is what happens when both of those strengths are available to every operator from the start.
