Mumbai: India’s streaming market is rapidly evolving beyond subscriber growth into a sophisticated advertising ecosystem, with Connected TV (CTV), live sports, vertical video and artificial intelligence emerging as key drivers of audience engagement and campaign effectiveness, according to Magnite’s latest Streams & Screens: India report. The study, conducted in partnership with Bounce Insights, surveyed 878 adults who consume ad-supported streaming services across India between March and April 2026.
The report comes as India’s premium streaming audience continues to expand, with Magnite estimating that approximately 416 million people now watch ad-supported streaming content. According to the findings, 82% of respondents said they stream more content today than they did a year ago, while 78% are open to trying new streaming services and 71% plan to subscribe to another platform over the next year. Streamers currently use an average of six streaming services and are willing to watch around 8.3 minutes of advertising per hour of streaming.
Ad-supported streaming is increasingly becoming the preferred consumption model. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents already use ad-supported streaming services, while 63% of those who currently do not subscribe to an ad-supported tier said they intend to do so within the next year. The report also notes that 94% of internet users remain active across the open web—including streaming, gaming and podcasts—highlighting opportunities beyond closed digital ecosystems.
The research, however, focuses specifically on India’s premium streaming audience. Three-fourths of respondents came from metropolitan cities, 64% belonged to high-income households, 72% were full-time working professionals and respondents owned more than two connected devices on average. Magnite noted that the findings represent the behaviour of highly connected urban streamers rather than India’s broader internet population.
Mobile continues to be the country’s primary streaming device, with 90% of respondents using smartphones for video streaming, while 78% stream through Connected TVs. The report found that mobile viewing remains consistent throughout the day, whereas CTV viewing peaks during evening prime time. Daily usage is high across both devices, with 86% of mobile users and 84% of CTV users streaming at least once every day. Satisfaction levels were similarly strong, reaching 96% for mobile and 95% for CTV.
Connected TV has also emerged as a shared household viewing platform. Eighty-six percent of CTV viewers reported watching content with other people, primarily in living rooms, while respondents said they typically watch with four additional people on average. According to the report, this shared viewing behaviour improves advertising outcomes, with 76% saying advertisements become more memorable during co-viewing sessions, 74% discussing advertisements with others, 73% finding them more relevant and 66% paying greater attention.
Co-viewing is no longer limited to television screens. The report found that 57% of mobile viewers also regularly stream with others. Smartphones are increasingly used across multiple locations, including private rooms, shared living spaces, while commuting, at workplaces and even in public locations such as cafés and malls.
India’s streaming preferences continue to be shaped by local content. Comedy emerged as the most popular streaming genre, followed by Indian dramas and OTT originals, live cricket, horror, romance and action. The report also found strong advertiser relevance in localisation, with 81% of respondents saying they pay greater attention to advertisements aligned with their interests, 80% responding more positively to advertisements reflecting local culture and 78% believing advertisements delivered in the same language as the content are more effective.
The study also profiled India’s streaming consumer beyond entertainment. Entertainment, health and fitness, food, travel and technology ranked among the top spending interests of respondents, while Diwali, Navratri and Dussehra emerged as the biggest seasonal shopping occasions, followed by Christmas, New Year and Holi. Outside streaming, respondents also consumed music and podcasts, linear television, gaming and reading.
Short-form vertical video has become nearly universal among streamers. The report found that 98% watch some form of vertical video, with 84% consuming short factual clips such as news and sports highlights, 79% watching creator-led content and 67% consuming scripted microdramas. More than half said the content they watch already contains advertising, while 55% found advertisements as memorable as sponsored content. One-third regularly click advertisement links within vertical videos and 31% have made purchases directly from vertical video advertisements. Additionally, 54% watch news clips multiple times daily, while 35% consume microdramas several times a day.
Live streaming has emerged as another high-engagement environment for advertisers. Nine out of ten respondents said they watch live-streamed content such as sports and live events at least once a month. Among them, 74% regularly watch live sporting events with others, 79% are more likely to remember brands advertising during live streams and 71% said they are more likely to take action after seeing advertisements during live streaming. The survey was conducted during the Indian Premier League season, reflecting heightened live sports consumption.
Cricket continues to dominate India’s streaming landscape. Three-fourths of respondents watch cricket, making it significantly more popular than other sports. Eighty-five percent said they are more likely to watch cricket with others compared with on-demand entertainment. Outside the home, nearly half continue watching matches on smartphones while travelling, while over one-third stream matches at work. At home, virtually every CTV owner surveyed reported watching cricket through Connected TV.
Second-screen behaviour is becoming increasingly common during television viewing. Sixty-two percent of CTV owners said they simultaneously use smartphones while streaming on television. Social media was the most common activity, followed by internet browsing, online shopping and messaging. More than half of respondents reported shopping on their second screen while watching streaming content, indicating opportunities for advertisers to connect branding on television with transactions on mobile devices.
Beyond viewing habits, the report also examines consumer responses to advertising formats across streaming platforms. It finds that consumers are increasingly receptive to interactive advertising formats such as actionable ads, pause ads and CTV home screen advertising, while repeated exposure across multiple devices improves brand recall and purchase intent more effectively than campaigns limited to a single screen. The report also indicates that streaming advertising now influences multiple stages of the consumer purchase journey, from product discovery and consideration to purchase decisions and recommendations.
Looking ahead, the research points to growing consumer acceptance of artificial intelligence in advertising. According to the report, respondents are generally comfortable with AI-generated advertising and AI-enabled personalisation, although they also expect brands to be transparent when AI is used in creating advertisements. (Pages 23–24)
Based on its findings, Magnite recommends advertisers prioritise Connected TV for premium household viewing, combine CTV and mobile campaigns to reach consumers across devices, leverage live cricket and other shared viewing moments to improve engagement, and increase investment in vertical video as it evolves into both an entertainment and commerce platform. The report also highlights the growing importance of culturally relevant, language-specific and interest-based advertising as India’s streaming ecosystem becomes increasingly diverse.
As the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising platform, Magnite said the research is intended to help advertisers better understand changing viewing behaviour and optimise campaign strategies across streaming environments.
