Mumbai: GroupM’s TYNY 2025 report projects that India’s Connected TV (CTV) household base will exceed 65 million, covering approximately 30% of TV households. The highest growth in CTV adoption is expected from non-metro cities, signaling a shift in digital content consumption beyond urban centers. With big-screen viewability and programmatic advertising gaining momentum, CTV is emerging as the most impactful advertising medium, offering brands hyper-personalized and hyper-localized targeting. This positions CTV as the preferred choice for advertisers looking to engage audiences effectively.
A key driver of CTV’s expansion is the rise of Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) channels, with over 200 FAST channels now available, increasing ad-supported content and enhancing scale for advertisers. Additionally, live sports on CTV continue to attract peak viewership, making it a prime opportunity for brands to connect with highly engaged audiences. Since premium users also experience ad-supported content, CTV provides a unique opportunity for brands to reach a broad and diverse audience.
Beyond content, OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) are playing a crucial role in CTV advertising growth by leveraging Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) data. This enables household-level targeting based on viewing habits, navigation behavior, and IP address syncs, offering marketers a more precise approach to audience segmentation. Furthermore, CTV’s lower entry barriers, with ad costs comparable to online video advertising, are attracting new and challenger brands eager to build audience funnels in a hyper-localized manner.
Creativity and innovation in CTV advertising are also driving deeper engagement. The ability to deliver addressable and interactive ads, along with personalized creative variations, enhances brand recall and impact. However, one of the biggest challenges in this space remains measurement. The lack of unified measurement across linear TV and CTV complicates cross-platform campaign evaluation. As a result, a dual measurement approach, combining traditional TV metrics with digital analytics, is seen as the best way forward for brands to accurately assess their CTV investments.
With its growing reach, data-driven targeting, and immersive ad formats, CTV is poised to redefine India’s advertising landscape. Brands that embrace programmatic innovation, leverage granular audience insights, and optimize creative strategies will be best positioned to drive CTV-driven marketing success in the years ahead.
