Small towns drive India’s connected TV growth

Meanwhile, the Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

Key points

• (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.).
• India now has an estimated 62 million to 65 million CTV households and 207 million viewers.
• Tuning in Expansion expands 55% in small towns and more than doubles in rural India: Report.
• It is increasingly becoming an "and" conversation between CTV and linear television, remarked Rahul Kapoor, VP partnerships, The Trade Desk India.
• Connected TV expansion in IndiaCTV audience expansionlinear television vs connected TVsmall towns and rural markets CTVCTV households in IndiaTV viewership trends IndiaWPP Mediaadvertising on connected TV.

Meanwhile, the Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now. Small towns emerge major expansion driver for connected TV in India. ET BureauLast Updated: Aug 20, 2026, 12: 36: 00 AM IST.

Connected TV households in India now number sixty-two to sixty-five million viewers. Expansion is significantly higher in smaller towns and rural areas throughout India. This expansion is not replacing linear television but complementing its viewership. Prime time viewership is emerging strongly on both CTV and linear platforms. Household-level measurement and frequency management are key challenges for advertisers.

Mumbai: Connected TV is expanding rapidly in India, with expansion increasingly coming from small towns and rural markets even as the medium continues to be notable for premium audiences, according to a joint report by WPP Media, The Trade Desk and Ormax Media. India now has an estimated 62 million to 65 million CTV households and 207 million viewers. While viewers spend an average 2.9 hours a day on the platform, the CTV audience has grown three times since 2022. Regarding 67% of CTV viewers are either new to the medium or spending more time on it than a year ago. For context, the strongest expansion is coming from outside the metros. CTV audiences grew 21% in metros, 46% in mini metros, 55% in small towns and 110% in rural India. The report remarked non metro India accounts for most of the CTV audience. Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Kerala and parts of the Northeast recorded higher than average expansion.

Rajiv Rajagopal, senior vice-president and head of advanced TV, media solutions at WPP Media India, remarked smaller markets have a lower base but are recording significantly higher expansion. He additionally pointed to continued headroom in urban markets, where CTV penetration is around 47%. UP, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and AP/Telangana are among the largest markets. The expansion is not translating into a simple replacement of linear television. While 54% of CTV homes are either cord cutters or light linear viewers, regarding 68% of CTV viewers additionally consume linear content. Live Events.

It is increasingly becoming an "and" conversation between CTV and linear television, remarked Rahul Kapoor, VP partnerships, The Trade Desk India. Prime time is additionally emerging throughout both screens. Between 8 pm and 10 pm on weekdays, 78% of CTV viewers are active on the major screen compared with 63% for linear TV. On weekends, the figures are 73% and 61%. Measurement, nevertheless, remains a challenge as CTV is largely a shared household experience. More than 80% of viewers watch with family or friends. While one impression reaches concerning 2.5 members of the household, an average CTV household has 3.3 individuals. The report remarked this requires reach, frequency and measurement to be considered around the household. Sajit Gopal, head of media at Domino's India, remarked advertisers need "cross screen frequency management and unified measurement." Add Now!

For now, small towns drive India's connected TV growth remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.