Television viewership in India 2018-2023
Television viewership in India measured an average minute audience (AMA) of approximately 1.5 trillion in 2023. It indicated a slight recovery from the declining trend that emerged post-pandemic, although remaining below viewership levels recorded in 2020. Despite the dip in viewership, television continued to be the country's largest medium, reaching over 200 million households.
What is India watching?
Of the one to two hours spent per day watching television, most Indians either sought entertainment in the form of their favorite TV series, or sports or tuned into the news of the day. The entertainment genre’s dominance within television consumption was quite evident in the abundance of general entertainment channels available to viewers in nearly all the major Indian vernacular languages. Comedies were a popular genre. Meanwhile, sports drew its viewers primarily from the vast population of cricket enthusiasts in the country, with Star Sports 1 Hindi being the most-watched television channel overall.
The era of connected TV
The Indian media and entertainment sector has been at the forefront of the digital revolution, being the first to adopt or adapt to innovative technologies. The television sector was no exception. With the irrevocable penetration of streaming and over-the-top services in the video content segment, an increasing number of Indian households are switching to connected televisions. Hybrid viewing has become the norm with viewers able to stream the latest web series and consume live television on the same device.
