Since 2018, the number of pay TV homes in India has declined by 40 million, bringing the total down to 111 million, which includes both pirated and under-declared connections, as per a report released by the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) in collaboration with EY India.
The distribution of content to consumers is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by digital adoption, evolving consumer preferences and technological advancements (e.g., D2M technology and 5G broadcast).
India produces one of the highest volumes of content in the world to cater to its diverse languages and cultures. With around 200,000 hours of content produced annually (excluding news bulletins and user-generated content) this equates to over 540 hours of original content daily (or more than 20 days of content produced each day).
A significant 97% of the content created was for television (though most was also made available on OTT platforms), employing an estimated 38,000 people, representing a substantial investment for creators, platforms and distributors.
The traditional linear TV broadcast ecosystem comprises cable TV, Pay DTH, HITS, IPTV and Free DTH. While DTH provides content directly to the end consumer, cable TV, MSOs and HITS services utilise the services of local cable operators.
TRAI data indicates there are 845 MSOs as of March 31, 2025. TRAI has estimated that there are around 85,000 LCOs in India as of 28 June 2024. As of March 31, 2025, there were 908 TV channels in India, of which approximately 40% were news and current affairs, and 60% were free-to-air.
Digital infrastructure has been growing in India:
- There are now 562 million active smartphones in India, with over a billion telecom subscriptions.
- Of the total telecom subscriptions, 945 million are capable of broadband.
- Internet penetration in India grew by 4% in 2024. There are 46 million wired broadband subscriptions, while the remainder are wireless broadband.
- As many as 50 million smart TVs connect to the internet each month.
There are 57 OTT platforms operating in India, according to the MIB portal:
- 52 (91%) of the OTT platforms offer both SVOD and AVOD options to subscribers.
- Three are exclusively AVOD.
- Two are exclusively SVOD.
- The abundance of free and ad-supported content on digital platforms provides an attractive aggregation of content for Indian consumers.
The Indian broadcasting and cable television sector has witnessed significant regulatory evolution over the past two decades, shaped by technological advances, consumer behavior shifts, and market dynamics.
This section outlines key milestones in the regulatory framework, underscoring the legal interventions that have defined the distribution and consumption of large-screen video content in India.
As convergence blurs the lines between traditional broadcasting and digital streaming, new categories such as OTT platforms, Connected TVs, FAST channels, and aggregator-
based services are redefining the media landscape. These emerging players operate outside the purview of existing broadcast regulations, creating regulatory asymmetries.
TRAI has indicated its intent to conduct a holistic consultation to reassess the sector’s regulatory architecture in light of these developments. Such a review is essential to ensure level-playing conditions, uphold consumer interests, and sustain industry viability.
Internet access has now surpassed one billion subscriptions in India, of which 945 million are broadband. The growth of wired broadband has been driven by the rise of 5G networks, as well as investments by telcos, ISPs, and local cable operators. Wired broadband connections are now 46 million, while wireless broadband subscriptions are 899 million.
With the growth of wired broadband to around 46 million homes in 2024, a new means of content distribution is available to consumers, particularly affluent audiences. Around 50 million smart televisions connect to the internet each month, with an average of 30 million connecting each week.
In effect, there are now four relatively large methods of content distribution in India:
- 60 million cable TV subscriptions
- 51 million DTH and HITS subscriptions
- 49 million Free TV subscriptions
- 46 million wired broadband homes
- Each method caters to a large audience segment
While the pay TV (large screen) segment continued to decline, there was significant growth in the small screen, i.e., the smart mobile phone, which reached 562 million active devices in 2024.
The growth of small screens and low-cost data has created an alternate medium of content distribution, particularly due to the ubiquitous availability of YouTube, a free, ad-supported content platform, as well as broadcaster OTT platforms that show television content for free within a few hours of its broadcast.
“Our discussions with DPOs indicate that the availability of high-quality content on YouTube, including broadcast content, impacts the revenue potential of the pay TV business, at the very least delaying recharges of monthly pay TV packs by price-conscious consumers,” the report read.
As compared to the total reach of TV, which was 754 million in 2024, the total online audience was 524 million in December 2024, meaning online reach is now 70% of the reach of television.
The reach of digital platforms is evenly distributed:
- Online entertainment has a reach of 440 million
- Online news has a reach of 461 million
- Online music has a reach of 190 million
The number of people consuming content using the internet has been growing significantly, with a growth of 72% in video consumption, 93% in news consumption and 39% in music consumption from 2018 to 2023. Connected TV homes have grown to around 30 million weekly active sets, while Free TV connections (largely Free Dish) are estimated at 49 million.
Consequently, from 2018, the reach of pay TV homes has reduced by 40 million to 111 million, which includes pirated and under-declared connections. This reduction has decreased the share of pay TV viewers to 58% of total TV viewers, down from 81% in 2018.
Unfortunately, during the same period, India’s TV dark homes have increased from 102 million (in 2018) to 140 million (in 2024) due to population growth.
“The fall in pay TV homes has naturally led to a decline in revenues of DPOs. Our analysis of four DTH and 10 major MSOs indicates that their revenues have fallen more than 16% since 2018, and margins have decreased by 29% during the same period,” the report read.
However, the bigger impact has been on the LCO ecosystem, which is detailed in the forthcoming section.
EY, in collaboration with AIDCF, conducted a focused survey to assess the effects of the dwindling number of cable TV households on LCOs. A total of 28,181 LCOs participated in the survey, which was administered in November and December 2024, across 34 states and union territories of India, as depicted in the map below. The survey was conducted unaided, using online tools and was administered in eight languages.
93% of respondents reported that their monthly take-home income had reduced over the period. 79% of respondents reported that their monthly take-home income had reduced by over 20% since 2018.
Subsequent survey questions indicated one of the reasons was the inability to pass through channel rate increases. AIDCF data shows that in several markets, channel retail prices have increased upwards of 50% since 2019.
Among the various options provided to respondents, the top four responses highlighted a shift away from paid content to free content consumption, as well as a transition from linear to on-demand viewing. Respondents noted that one of the main reasons for this shift is the perceived quality of content on TV, which they felt was not on par with the quality of content on OTT platforms:
Television and OTT platforms operate under different programming and advertisement content codes, with television being subject to more controls than online content.
The cost of content per episode on OTT platforms is several times higher than that on TV, which could impact the quality of content available on these platforms. 49% of LCOs we surveyed reported a drop in the employment they created.
Total employment across the participating LCOs dropped by 31%, resulting in a loss of 37,835 jobs.
Based on the latest available data from the TRAI, which states that there were 85,000 LCOs in June 2024, or data from the ten AIDCF member MSOs, which claim 1.6 lakh LCOs between them, if we extrapolate this sample finding to the entire sector, the approximate total job loss could be between 1.14 lakh and 1.95 lakh.
49% of survey respondents reported a fall in their subscriber base since 2018. Among the respondents, 35% claimed that their subscriber base had decreased by over 40%.
While 50% of respondents claimed growth, this number included growth due to mergers and consolidation of LCOs.
43% of the LCOs surveyed had already launched broadband services to augment their incomes, although their success varied due to the large marketing budgets and capabilities of larger players like ISPs and telcos.
Another 20% of respondents proposed launching broadband services. By offering broadband options, LCOs aim to protect their household base and revenues, as a shift to organised broadband could significantly impact their income.
Future Outlook
The total number of televisions in the country is projected to increase to 214 million by 2030, representing over 60% of total Indian households.
However, the composition of these households will change significantly. Pay TV could decline by a further 30 to 40 million, reducing the total to just 71 to 81 million (including under-declared
and pirated connections), as both Connected TVs and Free TV continue to grow on the back of changing demographics and consumption habits, such as:
- 93% of television sets sold in India in 2024 are expected to be internet-capable.
- The rise of work-from-home and study-from- home arrangement is fueling the adoption of broadband connections in households.
- The price of consumer premise equipment for free televisions has come to below Rs 1,000 making it the most affordable television option for consumers.
- Higher quality content is being produced for OTT platforms, along with more features that allow viewers to customise their experience, boosting Connected TV subscriptions.
- The availability of free content on YouTube and other platforms like Samsung TV+ and JioTV+, which can be viewed on Connected TV sets.
- TV content is made available on OTT platforms as well, in some cases for free when delayed.
The loss of 40 million pay TV households between 2018 and 2024 resulted in a loss of 37,835 jobs in the LCO ecosystem, based on the 28,181 respondent LCOs. When extrapolated to all 85,000 LCOs, as per the latest LCO data from TRAI, which states that there were 85,000 LCOs in June 2024, or data from the ten AIDCF member MSOs, which claim 1.62 lakh LCOs between them, the approximate total loss of employment could be between 1.14 lakh and 1.95 lakh.
A further loss of 30 million pay TV homes by 2030, as indicated above, could exacerbate unemployment. Even if broadband connections replace pay TV connections, the growth in employment generated by large ISPs and telcos may not match the levels previously generated by smaller LCOs due to economies of scale.
