New Trend In Television Viewing
[ Himadri Sen ]
Over the past two years, Connected TV (CTV) in India has transformed from an urban niche into a mainstream household viewing platform, driven by cheap high-speed broadband, affordable smart TVs (Xiaomi, Realme, Samsung, LG, TCL), and rising cord-cutting behavior.
1. Connected TV (CTV) Growth in India & West Bengal
National Growth:
Explosive Household Adoption: The CTV viewer base in India surged from roughly 40–50 million viewers to over 200 million individual viewers across nearly 50+ million households.
Shift Away from Cable/DTH: Around 27% of CTV users in India are cord-cutters (completely dropped cable/DTH in favor of smart TV apps).
Social Samosa
Co-Viewing Factor: More than 80% of CTV viewing in India is co-viewing (watched together by family members or friends). For news channels, this means 1 CTV impression typically reaches 2–3 family members simultaneously.
Media News 4U.
West Bengal Specific Dynamics:
Kolkata & Tier-2/3 Bengal: Kolkata, Siliguri, Asansol, and Durgapur saw rapid CTV expansion. Kolkata is one of the top metro markets for smart TV penetration due to high FTTH (Fiber-to-the-Home) broadband rollout by JioFiber, Airtel Xstream, and local cable ISPs.
Regional News Shift: Bengali news consumption has shifted noticeably from traditional TV news channels (like ABP Ananda, Republic Bangla, TV9 Bangla) toward YouTube TV apps, where viewers watch continuous news streams or key primetime debates without linear TV cable fees.
2. CTV Viewership Breakdown: Urban vs. Rural vs. West Bengal
Indicator Urban India Rural India West Bengal (Overall)
Growth Rate (YoY) - ~21% in Metros, 45–55% in Tier-2/3 110% YoY (Fastest growing segment) ~35–45% growth across urban & semi-urban pockets.
Primary Device Used - Smart TVs, Fire TV Sticks, Apple TV Low-cost Android Smart TVs, Streaming Sticks, Local FTTH Wi-Fi, Smart TVs (MI, Samsung, LG), Fire TV Sticks.
Viewing Behavior -Scheduled Evening Prime-time (8 PM–11 PM), On-demand debates, Continuous Live Streams, Morning & Late Evening News updates, Prime-time debates, Breaking News updates, Special Election/Local coverage
Co-Viewing Average ~2.3 people per screen ~3+ people per screen (Family watching) ~2.5 people per screen
Key Highlights:
The Rural Boom: Rural CTV adoption grew by over 110% year-on-year. Fiber broadband expansions and budget 32-inch Smart TVs ($100–$150 price range) have allowed rural households to replace traditional cable/DTH dishes with Wi-Fi streaming.
Media News 4U
Urban Market Saturation & Depth: While urban metro growth has slowed in percentage (~21%), the duration of watch time per user has grown significantly, with viewers spending over 3 hours daily on CTV content.
IAB SEA+India
3. YouTube’s Dominance on Connected TVs
YouTube is the single largest app driving CTV consumption in India, accounting for a massive share of total smart TV watch time:
#1 App on Smart TVs: YouTube is installed on virtually 100% of smart TVs in India and dominates living room screen time over subscription OTT platforms like Disney+ Hotstar, JioCinema, or Netflix.
YouTube Shorts on TV: YouTube Shorts on CTV screens doubled year-on-year, proving that viewers browse both short-form updates and long-form broadcasts on their TV screen.
Indiatimes.
News as a Core Pillar: News and current affairs account for nearly 47% of content engagement on CTV, making live news streams one of the top choices alongside web series, films, and sports.
Media News 4U
Strategic Takeaway for Your Bengali News Channel
Target the "Family Screen": Because Bengali households watch TV together, produce prime-time news talk shows and debates geared toward multi-generational family viewing.
Capitalize on Regional Hyper-Local Content: Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns in West Bengal (e.g., Bardhaman, Medinipur, Malda) are shifting to smart TVs rapidly. Covering district news, local stories, and Bengali culture will capture viewers cutting the cord on traditional cable packages.
Run 24/7 Live News Stream: TV viewers expect continuous programming when they turn on their smart TV rather than manually selecting individual 3-minute clips.
[ Himadri Sen ]
