India’s entertainment consumption has gone through a massive transformation in the last decade. From television and cinema halls, the focus has decisively shifted to OTT (Over-The-Top) platforms.
Fueled by cheap internet data, affordable smartphones, and a diverse appetite for content, India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing OTT markets in the world.
According to Mint, India’s OTT video market is expected to touch $7 billion by 2027, with growth driven by a mix of advertising-led (AVOD) platforms, subscription-based (SVOD) services, and hybrid models.
But the market is far from uniform. While platforms like YouTube and JioCinema dominate in terms of sheer scale and free users, services like Disney+ Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video lead when it comes to paid subscriptions. Regional OTT players are also making waves, capturing loyal audiences in vernacular markets.
In this article, we break down the latest data on India’s top OTT platforms in 2025—covering their installed base, monthly active users (MAUs), and paid subscriber penetration.
OTT Platforms in India (2025 Data)
| Platform | Installed Base (India) | MAU (India) | Subscriber Type | Paid Subscribers (India) | % Premium Users | % Free Users |
| YouTube | 500M+ installs | 450M+ MAU | Freemium + Premium | ~7–8M Premium subs | ~2% | ~98% |
| YouTube Music | Bundled with YT | ~60–70M MAU | Freemium + Premium | ~7–8M (via YT Premium) | ~2% | ~98% |
| Disney+ Hotstar | ~300M installs | ~250M MAU | Freemium + Paid | ~40M paid subs | ~15% | ~85% |
| Amazon Prime Video | 150M+ installs | ~70–80M MAU | Paid only | 25–30M (via Prime) | ~85–90% | 10–15% |
| ZEE5 | 100M+ installs | ~70M MAU | Freemium + Paid | ~12–15M paid subs | ~20% | ~80% |
| Sony LIV | 100M+ installs | ~50M MAU | Freemium + Paid | ~10–12M paid subs | ~20–25% | ~75–80% |
| JioCinema | 500M+ installs | ~200M MAU | Freemium (Ad-led) + Paid | <5M paid subs | ~10% | ~90–95% |
| SunNXT | 50M+ installs | ~20–25M MAU | Paid only | ~2–3M subs | ~70% | ~30% |
| Aha | ~20M installs | ~20M MAU | Paid only | ~2.5M subs | ~85% | ~15% |
| Hoichoi | ~20M installs | ~13–15M MAU | Paid only | ~13M global (~8–9M India) | ~85% | ~15% |
| ManoramaMAX | ~6M installs | ~3–4M MAU | Paid only | Likely <1M subs | ~85% | ~15% |
| MX Player | 500M+ installs | ~150M MAU | Freemium + Paid (MX Gold) | <2M subs | ~2–3% | ~97–98% |
| Spotify India | ~200M installs | ~88M MAU | Freemium + Paid | ~3M paid subs | ~3–4% | ~96–97% |
| JioSaavn | 200M+ installs | ~100M MAU | Freemium + Paid | ~1–2M paid subs | ~2% | ~98% |
| Wynk Music | 100M+ installs | ~70M MAU | Paid only (merging into Apple Music) | ~500K (migrating) | ~10% | ~90% |
Key Insights and Trends
Here are key insights, trends, and takeaways from the OTT/music/video platform table, focused on user bases, subscriber models, and pricing in the Indian market:
User Base + Subscriber Models
- YouTube is dominant in every metric: 500M+ installs, 450M+ monthly active users (MAU), and nearly all users (98%) are free users, with only ~2% paying for premium. Its premium subscriber base remains relatively small at around 7–8 million, indicating that most users continue to prefer free, ad-supported content.
- Mass platforms rely heavily on free users: Most large platforms (YouTube, YouTube Music, MX Player) have over 95% of their users on free or ad-supported tiers, with paid subscriber bases being a small fraction (1-4%).
- Niche/regional platforms see higher premium penetration: Services focused on language/regional content (Aha, Hoichoi, SunNXT, ManoramaMAX) show higher proportions of paid subscribers—up to 85% of users for ManoramaMAX and 70% for Hoichoi.
- Bundling and package pricing are common: Paid subscriber numbers often come from bundling (Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Music with YouTube Premium), impacting the direct interpretation of subscriber data.
- Freemium models dominate: Most platforms offer both free and paid tiers, except for a few (Amazon Prime Video, SunNXT, Hoichoi, ManoramaMAX, Aha) which focus exclusively or heavily on paid subscribers.
Platform Insights
- Jiohotstar: Stands out with subscriptions. The platform has ~40M paid subs (about 52% of base), much higher premium penetration than other mass platforms. Sports, especially cricket streaming rights, remain a major driver for this growth.
- Amazon Prime Video’s bundled advantage: With 25–30 million paid users, Prime Video enjoys one of the highest premium adoption rates (~85–90%) thanks to its integration with Amazon Prime memberships, which include shopping and other benefits.
- Music OTT struggles with monetization: Despite having massive user bases—Spotify (~88M MAUs) and JioSaavn (~100M MAUs)—the paid conversion rate remains low (2–4%). Free streaming still dominates music consumption in India.
- MX Player, Sony LIV: Massive user bases but premium monetization is small, with less than 2M paid subs for MX Player and 2–3M for Sony LIV.
- Regional OTT platforms are rising: Platforms like Hoichoi (Bengali), Aha (Telugu/Tamil), SunNXT (South Indian languages), and ManoramaMAX (Malayalam) are showing strong adoption in niche markets. Their strength lies in creating hyperlocal, vernacular content that global giants often overlook.
Pricing Patterns
- Affordable entry points: Most platforms have low monthly entry pricing (₹50–₹299/mo), making premium accessible, but family/yearly plans are increasingly popular for deeper engagement.
- Bundled/annual plans grow: Amazon’s bundled Prime and discounted annual plans (Jiohotstar, Hoichoi, Sony LIV) drive longer retention and cross-platform usage.
- Music platform pricing is competitive: Similar premium prices (Spotify, JioSaavn, Wynk) but differentiation happens on features, bundles, and exclusive content.
Conclusions
- The vast majority of Indian OTT/music users are still on free/ad-supported models; premium monetization remains a challenge for most platforms except select niche/regional services.
- Paid subscribers flock to platforms with regional focus, bundled services, or unique content. Mass market platforms must innovate further to convert free users to paid.
- Subscription pricing strategies (monthly, annual, bundled, family) are critical levers for driving premium uptake and retention in India.
The Bigger Picture: OTT in India
The Indian OTT market is unique compared to mature Western markets. Globally, platforms like Netflix rely heavily on subscriptions, but in India, freemium and ad-supported models dominate due to consumer price sensitivity. Even premium players have had to experiment with mobile-only low-cost plans to attract subscribers.
Another factor shaping the industry is the growing importance of regional content. Nearly 50% of OTT consumption in India comes from regional languages, and this number is expected to rise further. Regional OTT platforms, with smaller but loyal audiences, are carving out profitable niches.
Sports rights remain another battlefield. Platforms like JioHotstar have invested heavily in securing cricket and football rights to drive user growth. This strategy often leads to short-term spikes in subscriptions during major tournaments.
Conclusion
India’s OTT landscape in 2025 is a mix of scale, diversity, and experimentation. YouTube remains the king of free content, Hotstar dominates paid subscriptions, and Prime Video thrives through bundling. Regional players continue to gain ground, proving that vernacular content is the future of streaming in India.
As the market matures, the biggest question will be how many of these free users can be converted into paying subscribers?
With innovations in pricing, partnerships, and content strategies, the next few years will be crucial in shaping the OTT story in India.
