CTV viewership soars, 23% Indians go digital-only, says Kantar’s Media Compass report

New Delhi: Media consumption patterns in India are shifting rapidly, according to Kantar’s newly released Media Compass 2025. Despite these changes, many advertisers continue to depend on fragmented and outdated data, which may limit the effectiveness of their media strategies.

In the absence of a recent formal consumer media report to track evolving behaviour across platforms, Kantar has launched Media Compass, a quarterly report based on a rolling annual sample of 87,000 consumers. The report tracks consumption across television, print and digital platforms and includes cross-media interactions, platform usage, influencer engagement, and reach metrics.

The findings from Q1 2025 suggest that while linear television retains wide reach, digital consumption is increasing sharply across age groups, locations, and demographics. The rise of Connected TV (CTV) and digital-only users indicates changing viewing preferences, particularly among younger, male, and rural audiences.

Key insights from Media Compass Q1 2025:

• CTV is growing, but linear TV is still dominant: Linear TV continues to be watched by 58% of Indians each month. However, Connected TV has added 35 million new viewers, positioning it as a growing channel for reaching specific audience segments.
  
  

• Digital-only use on the rise: Around 23% of Indians now consume content exclusively through digital platforms, without watching linear television. This shift is particularly pronounced among younger and rural users.
  
  

• Male-skewed digital consumption: While linear TV shows a balanced gender split, both CTV and digital-only audiences are skewed 57% male, indicating a need for broader content representation.
  
  

• Distinct generational preferences: Media choices diverge sharply by age. Consumers aged 15–34 show a preference for digital (55%), OTT platforms (55%) and social media (57%). In contrast, 45+ users continue to favour linear TV (44%) over the internet.
  
  

• Rural audiences are increasingly digital: Digital-only users (74%) and linear TV viewers (75%) are strongly present in rural areas, suggesting a broader digital footprint than previously assumed. CTV is also now reaching both urban and rural households.
  
  

• Socio-economic differences in access and adoption: Digital-only users are more prevalent among lower NCCS groups, suggesting increasing access to digital content across socio-economic segments. Meanwhile, the newer CTV audience is concentrated in NCCS A households, reinforcing its status as a premium segment.
  

Commenting on the findings, Puneet Avasthi, Director, Specialist Businesses, Insights Division, South Asia, Kantar, said,  “In today’s fragmented and fast-evolving media landscape, brands are under pressure to make every media rupee count. Yet, most decisions are still being made using outdated or incomplete data, leading to suboptimal media planning and missed connections with consumers. Media Compass 2025 aims to correct this and equip advertisers with timely, in-depth insights across platforms, enabling smarter media planning, stronger audience engagement and sharper targeting for maximum impact.”