Connected TV moves beyond metros as India’s smaller-town audiences draw brand spend

India had 68 million monthly internet-connected TV sets in 2025, with smaller towns and rural markets driving a growing share of viewing. Affordable smart TVs, broadband and regional content are making CTV a more targeted mass-reach channel for FMCG, durables, auto and financial-services brands.

— Source published Wed, 19 Aug, 2026, 12:00 IST · First seen Wed, 19 Aug, 2026, 12:06 IST · Source Mint · Industry

What happened

India connected TV market · India’s connected-TV market is expanding beyond metros, driven by affordable smart TVs, broadband, regional content and shared

Key facts

  • 68 million unique internet-connected TV sets monthly in India in 2025
  • 40 million connected TV sets weekly in 2025
  • 30 million connected TV sets weekly in 2024
  • 67 million active connected TV homes projected by 2028
  • Broadband access projected to exceed 90 million homes by 2028
  • More than 60% of CTV viewers who do not watch linear TV are in smaller towns and rural markets
  • 32-37% connected-TV penetration estimated in tier-2 and tier-3 towns
  • Metro CTV view-completion rates: 95-96%
  • Tier-2 and tier-3 CTV view-completion rates: around 85%
  • Nearly 40% more brands are considering CTV in their media mix than a year ago

Why this matters

Prioritize partnerships or acquisitions in CTV measurement, regional streaming inventory and commerce-media integrations that help brands target non-metro audiences.

What to watch

  • Growth in affordable smart-TV sales and broadband/fixed-wireless adoption outside the top metros.
  • Availability of credible cross-platform measurement for linear TV, CTV, mobile video and incremental reach.
  • CTV ad inventory growth on major Indian streaming platforms and OEM home-screen environments.
  • Regional-language streaming watch time and the share of CTV viewing from Tier 2/3 towns and rural markets.
  • Advertiser adoption of QR-led CTV campaigns, shoppable formats and retailer/dealer attribution.
  • CPM trends, fill rates, frequency levels and brand-safety controls relative to linear TV and online video.
  • Privacy, consent and data-localization rules affecting household targeting and attribution.
  • Build city-tier and language-specific CTV plans rather than treating CTV as a metro-only extension of digital video.
  • Pair CTV creative with QR codes, retailer locators, WhatsApp journeys and marketplace landing pages to capture high-intent viewers.
  • Measure incremental reach against linear TV, YouTube and social video, with separate reporting for Tier 2/3 and rural-adjacent markets.
  • Use CTV audience segments to sequence follow-up ads across mobile, social, retail media and local dealer networks.
  • Prioritize regional-language creative versions and product assortments aligned to local price points, financing needs and seasonal demand.
  • Pilot closed-loop studies linking CTV-exposed households or pin codes to ecommerce conversion, store footfall and dealer leads.