Over-the-top media is a research concept examining the delivery of video, audio, and other digital content directly to consumers over the open internet, bypassing traditional broadcast, cable, or satellite distribution infrastructures. As an academic field, it investigates the technological architectures enabling this delivery, evolving consumption patterns and audience behavior, the socio-economic impact on traditional media industries, regulatory frameworks, and emerging business models. Key characteristics include reliance on broadband internet access, platform-agnostic delivery across multiple devices, and diverse monetization strategies distinct from bundled service subscriptions. Its significance lies in its transformative effect on media production, distribution, and consumption paradigms, fundamentally altering the media ecosystem and presenting novel challenges for policy and industry analysis.