India's OTT Audience Reaches 665 Million as CTV Adoption Surges

India’s OTT audience reached 664.9 million in 2026, marking an 11% year-on-year increase as digital video consumption continues to expand across the country. The latest Ormax OTT Audience Report shows that the streaming audience now covers nearly 45% of India’s population, while viewers spend an average of 14.9 hours per week on digital video platforms.

The total annual digital video consumption stood at around 517 billion hours, highlighting the growing importance of OTT platforms in India’s media and entertainment landscape.

Connected TV Adoption Rises 60%

One of the most significant changes in the OTT market in India is the surging Connected TV - CTV Viewership. The number of active CTV users grew 60% year-on-year to 206.9 million in 2026.

The number of moves indicates the transition from a mobile-first streaming market to a two-screen approach, as customers are watching content on their TV sets, as well as on their smartphones. The larger screens can also provide more immersive and longer viewing time, presenting new opportunities for streaming services and advertisers.

Paid OTT Subscriptions Reach 172.6 Million

Despite the sharp rise in OTT reach, converting viewers into paying subscribers remains a challenge. Active paid OTT subscriptions increased 16% to 172.6 million, significantly below the overall audience of nearly 665 million.

A considerable share of subscription growth is being driven by telecom bundles and aggregator platforms. Such arrangements allow consumers to access multiple streaming services as part of broader service packages instead of purchasing individual subscriptions directly.

This creates both scale and monetisation challenges for OTT companies, particularly as platforms seek to establish direct relationships with consumers.

Price Sensitivity and Competition Challenge OTT Growth

Streaming companies struggle to make money due to the cost of producing content and a fierce competition. However, price sensitivity is especially high in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, limiting the number of times price can be raised for subscriptions.

There's also customer churn to consider because subscribers can cancel service if there's not enough value in the services offered. Depending on telecom and aggregator bundles, this can restrict direct customer engagement, and can create margin pressures due to sharing revenues with partners.

Also Read: OTT Compliance Rules May Raise Costs for Indian Streaming Platforms

Micro-Dramas, K-Dramas and Anime Gain Traction

Changing viewer preferences are creating opportunities for niche content formats. According to the report, audiences for micro-dramas, K-dramas and anime grew 50%, 48% and 32%, respectively.

The diversification of viewing preferences could help OTT platforms attract and retain specific audience segments. However, the key challenge will remain converting India’s large free-viewer base into sustainable paying subscribers.

As the streaming market matures, OTT companies will need to balance content investments with sustainable subscriber growth and profitability. The coming period will show whether the rapid expansion in CTV and niche content can translate into stronger monetisation for India’s digital video industry.