As India’s entertainment ecosystem hurtles forward with more screens, more platforms, and more content than ever before, one quiet shift is becoming impossible to ignore: viewers are no longer impressed by abundance alone. In an environment dominated by algorithms, endless scrolling, and back-to-back releases, Indian audiences are increasingly seeking reassurance- stories they can trust, brands they recognise, and narratives that offer emotional clarity rather than cognitive overload. The question today is no longer what’s new, but what’s worth staying with.
From SVP Distribution – BBC Studio, South Asia, Stanley Fernandes’ vantage point at BBC Studios, 2025 marked a decisive turn towards intentional viewing. Indian audiences, he noted, are moving away from passive discovery and leaning into curated choices anchored in quality and familiarity. British content, with its restrained storytelling, emotional depth, and consistency across genres, has found renewed relevance in this shift.
This evolution is also reshaping how genres are consumed and platforms are valued. Indian viewers today are far more fluid, switching seamlessly between drama, documentaries, and family-friendly content based on mood rather than labels. For BBC Studios, this behaviour underscores the growing importance of curation over sheer volume, especially across hybrid ecosystems where linear television and OTT coexist. As Fernandes points out, it’s this ability to offer breadth with purpose- supported by strong partnerships, thematic programming, and long-term audience relationships- that continues to give British storytelling its edge in India, even as the market grows more competitive by the day.
Here are the excerpts from a wide-ranging conversation with Stanley Fernandes, SVP – Distribution, BBC Studios, South Asia.
2025 has been a year of sharp shifts in viewing behaviour across India. From where you sit, what stood out most about how Indian audiences engaged with global content this year and how did British content fit into that story?
What stood out most in 2025 was how intentional Indian viewers became about what they watch. With so much content available, audiences are no longer browsing endlessly; they’re gravitating towards brands and stories they trust.
British content fitted very naturally into this shift. It continues to perform strongly because it offers clarity of storytelling, emotional depth, and consistency in quality. Whether it’s drama, factual, or children’s shows, viewers know what they’re signing up for and that confidence matters more than ever in a crowded ecosystem.
British content has long had a loyal audience in India, but today it’s competing in a hyper-crowded, algorithm-driven ecosystem. What, in your view, continues to give British storytelling its edge here?
The edge comes from restraint and authenticity. British storytelling doesn’t try to overwhelm, it draws viewers in. The writing, performances, and pacing trust the audience’s intelligence, which resonates strongly with Indian viewers today.
In an algorithm-driven world, that distinctiveness actually cuts through. Viewers may discover content via algorithms, but they stay because of emotional connection and British stories excel at that.
Indian audiences today are far more genre-fluid than even five years ago. How have you seen their appetite evolve when it comes to British dramas, documentaries, and factual entertainment? What does the popularity of shows like Luther and Planet Earth III tell you?
Indian audiences are comfortably moving across genres depending on mood and moment. A gripping crime drama one day, a visually immersive natural history series the next.
The success of Chelsea Detective and Planet Earth III or for that matter Hey Duggee in the children’s space, all very different titles, tells us that viewers are choosing content based on quality and emotional payoff rather than genre labels. That genre fluidity works well for a service like BBC Player, where breadth of content and curation are key strengths.
British content is often considered more nuanced and rooted in realism. Do you think Indian audiences today are actively seeking depth over spectacle or is it about balance?
It’s very much about balance. Big spectacle has its place, and hyper dramatisation has its moments, but viewers increasingly want stories that feel grounded and human.
British content offers that counter-balance with stories that linger rather than shout. That nuance creates stronger recall, deeper engagement, and repeat viewing, which is especially important in a subscription-led environment. Stickiness to our content on BBC Player has been well noted on our partner platforms.
India is no longer just a ‘growth market’ for global media companies, it’s a strategic one. How important is India to BBC Studios today?
India is a core strategic market for BBC Studios not just in terms of scale, but sophistication. Indian audiences are globally aware, digitally fluent, and highly discerning.
That makes India an important testing ground for how premium global content is positioned, marketed, and monetised across platforms.
What makes the Indian market uniquely challenging and exciting at the same time?
The challenge is choice, there’s an abundance of content at every price point. The opportunity lies in differentiation.
India rewards brands that are consistent, trusted, and authentic in their voice and proposition. For BBC Studios, that’s exciting because our unique selling point lies in storytelling, curation, and long-term audience relationships rather than short-term noise.
Have you observed differences in how Indian audiences engage with British content versus domestic or other international content?
Yes, particularly in terms of loyalty and word-of-mouth. British content tends to enjoy longer shelf life. It’s not always about offering the latest release. Viewers recommend it, revisit it, and often discover older titles alongside newer ones.
That behaviour is extremely valuable from a marketing perspective; it allows us to build campaigns around curated moments rather than just launches.
BBC Player has steadily expanded its footprint in India through partnerships with platforms like Tata Play Binge and Prime Video. What role have these partnerships played in scaling reach and discovery?
Our partnerships with Tata Play Binge and Amazon Prime Video Channels have been critical in driving discovery and subscriber growth.
These platforms help surface BBC Player to highly relevant audiences through on-platform promotion, curated placements, and joint marketing. Alongside this, we run targeted campaigns on Meta and YouTube, creating cultural moments such as Classic Comedies or Valentine’s Day to cite a few campaigns that spark interest and convert curiosity into subscriptions.
India remains a market where OTT and linear television coexist strongly. How does BBC Studios approach distribution in such a hybrid ecosystem?
India is a uniquely hybrid market, and we lean into that reality rather than trying to force a single model. Our approach is very much about meeting audiences where they are, across both linear and on-demand environments.
Linear television continues to play a vital role for scale, trust, and habitual viewing, particularly for brands like BBC News and CBeebies, which are part of daily viewing routines for many households. At the same time, OTT platforms are driving discovery, depth of engagement, and more personalised consumption through services like BBC Player on Tata Play Binge and Amazon Channels.
We also operate across models through our joint venture channel Sony BBC Earth, which brings premium factual and natural history content to audiences in a way that works seamlessly within India’s television ecosystem.
Because discovery works differently on linear and OTT, our marketing and positioning adapt accordingly; appointment viewing and brand-led programming moments on linear, and curated rails, themed collections, and targeted campaigns on OTT. Together, these touchpoints reinforce each other and help us build long-term audience relationships rather than chasing short-term reach.
As we head into 2026, what shifts in audience behaviour should the industry watch closely?
As we head into 2026, audiences will continue to value curation over volume. With so much choice available, viewers increasingly want help navigating content through trusted brands, clear propositions, and meaningful recommendations.
We’re also seeing viewing choices being driven more by mood and moment- people deciding what to watch based on how they want to feel, whether that’s comfort, escapism, or deeper engagement. This naturally makes thematic, event-led marketing more effective than a constant stream of individual content drops.
Finally, how would you sum up the role British content will play in India’s entertainment landscape over the next few years?
British content will continue to be a steady, trusted presence, offering depth, quality, and emotional resonance.
In a fast-moving entertainment landscape, it provides something increasingly valuable: stories that stay with you long after the screen goes dark.
