India’s Connected TV (CTV) landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. By mid‑2025, the country is expected to have between 50–60 million CTV households, with annual advertising spend projected at ₹2,300–2,500 crore, potentially rising to ₹3,000 crore, making CTV a strategic media choice for marketers.
New to Connected TV? Read our complete guide What Is CTV Advertising? Discover How It Works (2025) for a detailed breakdown of definitions, audience trends, ad formats, and measurement tools before diving into Smart TV buyer insights.
1. The Smart TV Boom — Scale Meets Strategy
- Rapid growth: CTV households in India are growing at approximately 21% year-on-year, fueled by affordable smart TVs, bundled broadband plans, and a surge in regional content.
- Daily streaming habits: Indian viewers now spend over 3.5 hours per day on TV, with 80% of that viewing shared with mobile devices, highlighting strong cross-screen opportunities.
2. Personas + Hardware = Targeting Precision
CTV’s advantage isn’t just about screen size—it’s about targeting precision informed by device and demographic insights. Different user groups show distinct patterns:
| Persona | Smart TV Drivers | Most Engaged Platforms & Formats |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Premium Families | Upgrades, broadband + OTT bundles | IPL/dramas — Mastheads, Pre‑rolls, QR overlays |
| Young Professionals | Modern UI & global content | YouTube CTV – Interactive ads, Pre‑roll |
| Tier‑2 & 3 Buyers | Budget TVs + hotspot streaming | MX Player, JioCinema – Pause ads, Regional Mastheads |
| Elders / Value Buyers | Familiar UX, replacing old sets | News/Soaps – Mid‑roll, Pause ads |
3. Why This Matters for Advertisers
- Precise targeting: CTV enables household-level addressability in a secure, privacy-safe environment without relying on third-party cookies.
- Performance wins: Apps and digital brands benefit with ~24% lower CPIs thanks to efficient cross-device targeting.
- Real-time adaptation: Programmatic and contextual targeting capabilities allow advertisers to optimize creative based on ZIP code, content, or time.
4. Persona-to-Platform Strategy
| Persona | Platforms | Recommended Ad Formats |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Families | Hotstar, YouTube CTV | Mastheads, QR overlays, Interactive formats |
| Young Professionals | YouTube, Netflix (CTV) | Interactive ads, Pre‑roll |
| Rural Buyers | MX Player, JioCinema | Pause ads, Regional Mastheads |
| Elders / Value Buyers | Hotstar, News OTT apps | Mid‑rolls, Contextual Pause Ads |
Use this smart mapping to align ad formats with each persona’s consumption habits.
5. Campaign Blueprint — From Awareness to Conversion
- Awareness: Launch Masthead and Pre‑roll ads in target regions.
- Engagement: Use Pause Ads mid-campaign to deepen emotional resonance.
- Conversion: Add QR overlays or interactive formats to prompt immediate action.
- Reinforcement: Follow up with Mid‑rolls + cross-screen reminders.
- Measurement: Monitor completion rates, dwell-time, scan rates, CPMs, and viewability for insights.
6. The ₹2,500 Crore CTV Boom — And What’s Next
- 2025 projections: Ad spend expected to reach ₹2,300–2,500 crore, based on Pitch Madison and dentsu e4m reports.
- CTV’s share: Now accounts for around 18% of digital video ad spends, up from 12% prior. Top brands are allocating up to 24% of their media budgets to CTV.
- CAGR outlook: Growth for CTV ad spend is expected near 45% CAGR, pushing annual value towards ₹3,000 crore by 2025.
7. Measurement & Quality Assurance
CTV offers performance gains- but validation is key:
- Invalid impressions risk: Up to 50% may be non-viewable without proper verification.
- Brand-safe promise: OEM platforms like Samsung use ACR for cleaner, safer ad environments.
- Solution: Always work with verification partners (e.g., DoubleVerify, Innovid) to ensure ads are fully in-view and minimize fraud.
8. Final Takeaway
By 2025, CTV isn’t just another screen—it’s the strategic media channel for high-impact advertising in India. With 60M+ households, a projected ₹3,000+ crore ad spend, and unmatched targeting + measurability, CTV offers brands the ability to connect with premium, engaged audiences in a fully trackable environment.
At The Media Ant, we help advertisers unlock this opportunity through persona-aligned planning, creative strategy, programmatic execution, and quality verification—all tailored to the Indian CTV landscape.
📣 Ready to launch your CTV campaign?
Use our CTV Planning Tool to map your ideal audience, pick the right platforms, and estimate media spends—before you even start your campaign.
References:
https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/connected-tv-market?utm_source=chatgpt.com
