India’s advertising landscape is undergoing a seismic shift as Connected TV (CTV) rapidly becomes a preferred medium for brands aiming to reach digitally engaged audiences at home. Spurred by the rise in smart TV adoption and affordable broadband, CTV ad spending in India skyrocketed from Rs 450 crore in 2022 to Rs 1,500 crore in 2024, a 233% increase in just two years.
Though currently accounting for just 1.5% of India’s digital advertising market, CTV’s share is projected to climb to 7–8% in the near term, driven by an estimated 40% annual growth rate. The surge is tied closely to the expansion of OCC (Over-the-top Content Consumption) services, with India’s OCC audience base reaching 547.3 million by March 2024—38% of the country’s population, up from 34% in 2023.
The number of internet users in India also hit a staggering 954 million as of March 2024, supporting the ongoing digital content boom. Among OCC viewers, 69.7 million—or about 13%—are now consuming content on smart TVs. This shift is not limited to metros; Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are showing strong engagement, particularly with scheduled content such as sports, news, and devotional programming.
This changing viewer behaviour is expanding opportunities for advertisers. CTV offers a suite of interactive and high-impact ad formats—pause ads, auto-expanding billboards, pre-rolls, mid-rolls, and click-to-WhatsApp experiences—designed to engage audiences more deeply and increase brand visibility.
India is quickly climbing the global ranks, with the number of Connected TVs expected to reach 45 million in 2024, making it the third-largest CTV market in the world. Meanwhile, addressable TV advertising, which accounted for Rs 4,500 crore (9.8% of India’s TV ad revenue) in 2023, is projected to grow to 16% of total TV ad revenue by 2026.
CTV was initially viewed as a branding-focused channel, ideal for storytelling and mass visibility—particularly by premium brands in FMCG, automotive, and D2C segments. But this view is evolving. With deeper smart TV penetration across rural and urban India, performance-driven sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, and gaming are now leveraging CTV for user acquisition and measurable outcomes.
The effectiveness of CTV is backed by performance metrics: video completion rates exceed 90%, and viewability remains consistently above 95%, thanks to the format’s non-skippable, full-screen delivery. In terms of cost, the cost per completed view (CPCV) on CTV is 20–30% lower than on mobile or desktop, making it an increasingly efficient medium for advertisers.