36% of urban SVOD viewers in India are regular CTV users: Report

India’s overall digital video audience has reached 54.73 crores, with 15.06 crore users among these (28%) being subscribers of SVOD platforms in 2024. This was revealed in the ‘Ormax SVOD Audience Report: 2024’, released by Ormax Media.

According to the study, India’s paid streaming audience has dropped marginally by 2% in 2024 from the last year’s level, highlighting the challenges for subscription based video on demand (SVOD) services in acquiring and retaining the viewers. The report provides an analysis of the behaviour and preferences of the SVOD audience covering aspects such as viewing habits, language preferences, and content consumption triggers.

The study finds that connected TV (CTV) has emerged as a preferred device for streaming content with about 36% of SVOD viewers in urban India regularly opting for CTVs. While this indicates a shift in how audio-visual content is consumed, this growth in adoption of CTV has also gone hand-in-hand with a rise in co-viewing, with 66% of viewers watching CTV content with their family members.

According to the Ormax report, this trend shows an increasing demand for inclusive content that can appeal to a diverse audience across age groups and life stages. With the growing use of connected TVs and the popularity of family co-viewing, the media consulting firm recommends streaming services to craft content that can strike chords with audiences across demographics.

Stating that CTV usage is not confined to metro cities, but is also gaining traction in smaller towns and mini metros, Keerat Grewal, head of business development at Ormax Media, hinted at the continued broadening of scope for content creators and marketers in the near future.

“In a market where typical subscribers pay for only two to three streaming services, OTT platforms must align their pricing, content, and marketing strategies with their audience’s preferences,” Grewal said.