ViewLift, a global provider of streaming‑technology infrastructure, and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), the subscription service dedicated to hunting, fishing and adventure programming, announced on March 26, 2026 that they are rolling out a new AI‑driven search capability called ViewLift Conversational AI Search. The feature, now live on the MOTV web platform and slated for voice‑enabled TV integration soon, lets users type or speak natural‑language queries to locate specific outdoor‑content across the service’s extensive library.
A shift from keyword matching to intent‑based queries
Traditional video‑on‑demand platforms rely on simple keyword filters, which often force users to guess the exact terms used in titles or tags. The new conversational search replaces that approach with a model that interprets the user’s intent, delivering results that align with the meaning behind the request rather than the literal words entered. In practice, a subscriber could ask for “archery elk hunts in the Colorado Rockies” or “fly fishing techniques for trout in fast‑moving water” and receive a curated set of videos that directly address those scenarios.
Under the hood: semantic intelligence, vector search and RAG
The technology stack behind the feature combines three advanced AI concepts:
- Semantic intelligence – a layer that maps titles, deep metadata and full‑text transcripts into a high‑dimensional space, allowing the system to capture relationships between topics that a keyword engine would miss.
- Vector search – by representing each piece of content as an embedding vector, the engine can calculate similarity scores that reflect conceptual proximity, not just textual overlap.
- Retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) – this approach pulls relevant passages from the underlying corpus to inform the generation of a response, ensuring that the returned results are grounded in actual catalog data.
Together, these components enable a discovery experience that mirrors the conversational search capabilities found on mainstream services such as Netflix, but tuned specifically for the niche vocabulary of hunting, fishing and outdoor adventure.
Redesigning the browsing interface
Beyond the backend, the rollout includes several front‑end enhancements aimed at reducing friction:
- Dynamic visual video grid – search outcomes populate a responsive mosaic that showcases multiple experts, shows and techniques side‑by‑side, allowing users to scan options quickly.
- Hover‑to‑play trailer – hovering over a thumbnail triggers a short preview clip, giving viewers an instant sense of relevance before committing to a full episode.
- Contextual follow‑up queries – users can refine their search on the fly—filtering by a particular guide, species, technique or location—without having to restart the entire query.
These UI tweaks are designed to keep the discovery loop tight, encouraging viewers to stay within the search flow rather than navigating away to unrelated sections of the site.
Executive commentary
“At ViewLift, our focus is on using AI to create experiences for end customers leveraging the latest technology only used by big companies like Netflix. This new experience allows users to search using concepts, keywords by typing or using voice.” said Manik Bambha, President of ViewLift. “Conversational discovery dramatically reduces the time between intent and viewing. For MyOutdoorTV’s passionate audience, it means faster access to the exact hunting, fishing, or outdoor content they want, while increasing engagement across the platform.”
From MOTV’s side, Sean Luxton, Sr. Vice President and General Manager at MOTV, added: “With thousands of episodes covering every aspect of the outdoor lifestyle, helping subscribers discover relevant content quickly is essential. ViewLift’s Conversational AI Search introduces a smarter, more intuitive way for hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts to explore our programming and connect with the content they love.”
Where the feature sits in the broader streaming landscape
AI‑powered search has become a differentiator for large‑scale platforms that host diverse catalogs. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ have all publicly discussed moving beyond simple metadata to semantic, intent‑driven retrieval. However, niche services like MyOutdoorTV have traditionally lagged in this arena due to limited resources and the specialized nature of their content.
By partnering with ViewLift, MOTV taps into a technology stack that was previously the preserve of industry giants. The move signals a broader trend: specialized OTT operators are beginning to adopt enterprise‑grade AI tools to stay competitive, improve churn rates, and justify premium pricing. The ability to surface long‑tail content—episodes that sit deep within the archive but match a specific user need—can also unlock incremental value from existing assets without additional production costs.
Business implications for ViewLift and MyOutdoorTV
From a revenue perspective, the conversational search feature promises several tangible benefits:
- Higher engagement – Faster, more accurate results encourage users to watch more content per session, potentially boosting average revenue per user (ARPU).
- Reduced churn – When subscribers feel they can reliably find the videos they want, the perceived value of the service rises, lowering the likelihood of cancellation.
- Content utilization – By surfacing older or less‑promoted episodes that align with niche queries, the platform can extract more mileage from its catalog, improving overall content ROI.
- Data insights – The AI layer can log query patterns, offering MOTV actionable intelligence about emerging interests (e.g., a spike in “fly fishing in fast‑moving water” searches) that can inform future content acquisition or production decisions.
For ViewLift, the deployment serves as a showcase of its AI capabilities, positioning the company as a go‑to technology partner for other vertical OTT players seeking similar upgrades.
Potential challenges and considerations
While the announcement highlights a polished user experience, several operational factors will need ongoing attention:
- Content moderation – Natural‑language queries may surface user‑generated comments or transcripts that contain sensitive language; robust moderation pipelines are essential to maintain compliance with platform policies.
- Privacy and data handling – Voice‑enabled searches on connected TVs raise questions about how audio data is captured, processed and stored. Transparent privacy notices will be required to satisfy regulators and consumer expectations.
- Scalability – Vector search and RAG models demand significant compute resources, especially as the catalog grows. Ensuring low latency for real‑time queries will be critical for user satisfaction.
- Localization – As MOTV expands into non‑English speaking markets, the semantic models will need multilingual support to preserve the same level of intent accuracy.
Addressing these issues early can help the rollout avoid the pitfalls that have slowed AI adoption in other streaming contexts.
Looking ahead
The introduction of ViewLift Conversational AI Search marks a meaningful step toward more human‑like interaction with niche video services. By marrying sophisticated semantic retrieval with a clean, preview‑rich interface, MOTV is poised to deliver a discovery experience that rivals mainstream platforms while retaining its focus on outdoor enthusiasts.
If the early adoption metrics align with the executives’ optimism—namely, quicker content access and higher search capability—the feature could become a blueprint for other vertical OTT providers seeking to modernize their search capabilities without building AI infrastructure from scratch. As AI continues to permeate the streaming ecosystem, the line between “big‑player” and “specialty” services may blur, leaving the quality of the user experience as the decisive factor.
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