OTT viewership for TV shows surges amid changing consumer habits
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Top traditional television shows such as Bigg Boss, Indian Idol, Kaun Banega Crorepati, Anupamaa, and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai are getting a substantial chunk of the total viewership - about 40-50% - from the respective digital platforms owned by the TV networks, when they are streamed as catch-up content.
Entertainment industry experts point out that extra content around some of these shows draws eyeballs on OTT platforms, besides the fact that loyal fans may get to watch episodes before they are dropped on TV, and without ad breaks. Along with the overall rise in connected TV sets, devices that can connect to the internet and stream content, that are helping facilitate the streaming of linear content, this is also a way for broadcast networks to ramp up the paid subscriber base of their OTT platforms.
That said, television remains core to the business and is unlikely to see advertiser interest fade significantly. According to the Ficci-EY media and entertainment report 2024, while linear viewership in 2023 grew 2% in India over 2022, about 19-20 million smart TVs connected to the internet each week, up from around 10 million in 2021.
“There is significant viewership for popular shows on digital and a lot of it has to do with the extra viral content that may not be shown on television. That basically makes for two avatars of the same show, feeding into a loyal audience base that may prefer to watch it on any platform," said Nina Elavia Jaipuria, media expert and former head of Hindi and kids TV network at Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd.
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