49 per cent of incremental CTV viewers come from rural markets: Kantar

New Delhi: Rural India is also contributing to connected TV growth, with 49% of incremental CTV viewers coming from rural markets, the Kantar Media Compass Q3 FY2025 stated.

Kantar said digital adoption in rural India is high and rising. It said three in four digital-only users reside in rural India.

The report said digital-only audiences now represent 26%, or 313 million, of India’s 15+ population as of Q3 2025. It defined digital-only audiences as those who access the internet but do not watch Linear TV. 

Kantar said this segment has grown by 30% in Q3 2025 from its baseline of 20% in 2024. It added that digital-only audiences are over-indexed among NCCS C/DE and younger age-groups.

On television, the report estimated Linear TV viewership dipped marginally to 689 million in Q3 2025 from 705 million in Q1 2025. At the same time, viewers watching content on both Linear TV and Connected TV rose to 116 million in Q3 2025. Kantar said this is a 17% growth over Q1 2025.

The report said India’s media mix is evolving at unprecedented speed. It said consumers are embracing a wider array of platforms and formats. Kantar said this makes it essential for advertisers and media planners to stay connected to changing behaviours.

The report is built on a rolling sample of 87,000 consumers. Kantar said it provides updated reach and frequency metrics, cross-media interactions, and category-linked behaviours.

The report also flagged a widening role for online shopping platforms. It said 43% of Indians browse online shopping platforms for discovery, research, and deal-hunting. Kantar said retail media networks are increasingly shaping preferences at the top of the purchase funnel.

Kantar said the findings have clear implications for brands. It said digital is rapidly bridging the reach gap in historically media-dark geographies and cohorts. It said brands should build flexible plans that balance linear and digital investments, based on objectives and target audiences. 

It also asked brands to rethink assumptions and adopt telecom-first rural strategies, with tailored creative, formats and vernacular content for mobile-led consumption. It said brands should treat retail platforms as vital upper-funnel environments for storytelling and influence, backed by always-on and optimised content.

Commenting on the report, Puneet Avasthi, Director, Specialist Businesses, South Asia, Kantar, said, “Since its launch in June, Kantar's Media Compass Report has enabled marketers to navigate the complexity of India’s media ecosystem with precision.” He said the rise of digital-only audiences to 313 million signals a decisive shift in consumption. He said growth is coming strongly from rural and younger segments. He said brands must rethink how they build reach and relevance. He added that Media Compass provides timely intelligence to plan with precision as behaviour becomes multi-screen.