India’s OTT Audience Rises 11% to 665 million; Connected TV Audience Surges 60% in 2026: Ormax
- IBEF
- September 9, 2026
India’s over-the-top (OTT) audience increased by 11% year-on-year to 664.9 million in 2026, while active paid OTT subscriptions grew by 16% to 172.6 million, according to the Ormax OTT Audience Report: 2026. Based on a survey of 15,000 respondents across urban and rural India conducted during June and July 2026, the report estimates that around 45% of India’s population now watches online video. The growth of India’s digital entertainment ecosystem is also reflected in the sharp expansion of connected television (TV) viewing, with the active connected-TV audience rising by 60% from 2025 to reach 206.9 million in 2026. This highlights the increasing importance of large-screen viewing alongside smartphones and indicates the evolution of India’s digital video market into a multi-screen ecosystem.
Online video consumption in India is also expanding across formats and platforms. OTT users spend an average of 14.9 hours per week watching online video, including content across social media platforms, micro-drama services and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, translating into an estimated 517 billion hours of annual video consumption. Micro-dramas recorded 50% growth in audience size, followed by Korean dramas at 48% and anime at 32%, making them among the fastest-growing content formats. FAST channels have also begun gaining traction, with an estimated audience of 35.2 million viewers. India’s digital audio ecosystem remains significant, with 227.3 million monthly active audio streamers, including 15 million paid users. The report further noted that 44 Indian cities now have an OTT audience of at least one million, highlighting the widening geographical reach of digital entertainment consumption across the country.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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