The Indian television industry declined in 2024, marking it the second consecutive year of contraction, according to the FICCI-EY’s Media & Entertainment report 2025. TV segment revenues declined by 4.5%, following a 2% fall in 2023, as both advertising and distribution revenues faced multiple headwinds.
The report states that TV advertising revenue fell by 6% in 2024, driven by a similar 6% reduction in advertising volumes and a sharp 12% drop in the number of brands utilising television as a medium. Distribution revenue also declined by 3%, largely due to a 6% fall in Pay TV households, which shrank by six million to settle at 111 million. Although there was a slight increase in Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) to Rs 281 (gross of taxes), it failed to offset the impact of the declining subscriber base.
CTV and FreeDish expand their footprint
Active connected TV has reached a milestone of 50 million in 2024, with about 30 million connecting to the internet on a weekly basis. On the other hand, Prasar Bharati’s DD FreeDish significantly expanded its reach. By December 2024, the free-to-air platform hosted 179 channels, including 37 Doordarshan channels, 12 e-Vidya channels, and 33 Swayam Prabha channels. It also offered audio programming from All India Radio, featuring 25 satellite radio channels.
A proposed TRAI order mandates that channels available for free on FreeDish must also be free-to-air (FTA) on other distribution platforms. While yet to be implemented, this move is causing concern among broadcasters due to potential revenue and reach implications. Free TV homes grew to approximately 49 million in 2024, bolstered by improving content quality, especially in rural areas where internet reliability remains an issue.
In a survey of FreeDish equipment dealers, 65% believed the customer base was growing, 15% felt it was flat, while only 5% thought it was declining. The growth drivers cited included improved content offerings, a wider selection of channels, and affordability for viewers who are unwilling to pay for Pay TV or data services.
YouTube strengthens its hold on Indian audiences
YouTube continued to cement its position as a formidable rival to traditional TV, reaching 476 million Indians in 2024 — double its US audience. The platform now reaches 63% of TV’s audience, up from 61% in 2023, driven by increasing internet penetration in Hindi-speaking states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and the Northeastern region, where 95% of users consume content in local languages.
Projections suggest YouTube’s user base could exceed 800 million by 2029, as mobile and broadband connectivity improve. The platform’s impact is especially evident in genres like kids’ content, which has seen a significant shift from linear TV to YouTube and CTV, largely because of free availability and on-demand access.
Television consumption patterns remain flat
The report notes that the overall TV impressions remained flat compared to 2023. About 58% of viewership came from audiences aged between 15 to 50 years, while children under 14 years contributed 24% — figures largely unchanged from the previous year. The cumulative weekly reach of television fell slightly to 753 million people from 758 million, although average daily viewing time increased marginally to three hours and forty-two minutes.
Several factors impacted television time, including the meteoric rise of YouTube, which now has 476 million monthly users, offering curated and premium content at little to no cost. The growth of social media, short videos, and gaming, all of which have a combined reach exceeding 400 million, also diverted audience attention. Moreover, high-quality and niche content on OTT platforms, alongside growing wired and wireless broadband adoption (now reaching around 46 million households) and the proliferation of smart TVs, further contributed to this trend.
General Entertainment Channels (GEC) and movies retained their dominance, accounting for 75% of all TV viewership, a stable ratio observed for the past seven years. News viewership experienced a 13% boost, propelled by the general and state elections. However, sports viewership suffered a steep 27% decline despite marquee events like the T20 Cricket World Cup and the IPL. Analysts attribute this to the shift of sports content to free OTT streaming, the growth of Connected TVs, and the absence of one ICC cricket tournament compared to 2023.
Hindi remained the most watched television language, commanding a 44% share of viewership. The top five languages accounted for 79% of total viewership. While Kannada, Marathi, and Bhojpuri showed slight growth, Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil experienced marginal declines. South Indian languages collectively contributed to 33% of total viewership, and English accounted for less than 1%.
TV advertising volume declined by 6% in 2024, reflecting the drop in brand participation despite stable viewership. The number of advertisers decreased by 12% compared to the previous year. Hindi-speaking market (HSM) channels were hit the hardest, while regional channels gained ground, capturing 16% more advertising volume share compared to national channels.
Advertising rates remained weak due to reduced demand. GEC and news genres contributed 56% of total ad volumes, slightly up from 55% in 2023. Interestingly, while GEC and movie channels commanded 75% of viewership, they only attracted 52% of ad volumes. In contrast, news and music channels, despite comprising just 11% of viewership, managed to secure 37% of ad volumes.
FMCG remained the largest advertising category, contributing 63% of TV ad volumes, although it saw an 8% drop in absolute terms, worse than the overall decline of 6%. Sectors such as building and industrial materials, telecom, and banking and financial services were among the fastest-growing categories. Conversely, media, agriculture, and services recorded the sharpest declines.
Outlook for the industry
India’s steady GDP growth forecast of 5% to 7% until 2027 is expected to maintain a healthy advertising environment. Marketers are hopeful that categories such as online gaming, automotive, BFSI, and Chinese brands will return to television in 2025 as consumer spending rebounds. Most CMOs surveyed in December 2024 expected a positive shift in consumer behavior.
Additionally, government spending and growth in export-led production are expected to boost overall consumer expenditure. However, as affluent Pay TV audiences continue migrating to Connected TV — whose advertising revenue is counted under the digital segment — linear TV ad revenues are expected to remain under pressure. The report projects a modest 1.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for linear TV advertising revenues over the next three years.
