India CTV CPMs are rising because advertiser demand is growing faster than premium inventory supply. The number of brands allocating dedicated CTV budget—rather than treating it as spillover from digital video—has increased significantly over the 2022–2026 period. As more DSPs improve their CTV integrations and more agencies run CTV-specific media plans, auction competition on premium inventory increases, and CPMs rise as a mechanical result.
Three specific forces have accelerated the trend. First, IPL on JioHotstar established a new price anchor for premium live CTV inventory—advertisers paid significantly higher rates to be present during the world's most-watched cricket tournament on streaming, and that established what the market would bear. Second, the launch of ad-supported tiers on JioHotstar and other platforms brought new, engaged viewers into the CTV ad ecosystem, increasing demand for quality inventory. Third, programmatic maturation—better CTV SSP integrations, header bidding on CTV, and improving audience data—has increased competition for each impression through auction mechanics, which pushes effective CPMs upward even without any change in direct deal rate cards.
How far and how fast will India CTV CPMs rise?
- India CPMs remain materially below US and UK levels—the structural gap will close gradually, not suddenly
- Premium inventory (JioHotstar live sports) will rise fastest; open auction inventory will rise more slowly
- Measurement improvement—better third-party verification and cross-platform deduplication—will be a key unlock for CPM growth, as advertisers gain confidence to pay more for verified impressions
- Any slowdown in advertiser CTV budget growth or a significant supply increase (new platforms, more ad loads) could temporarily flatten the trend
Full guide
For a complete explanation, read: Why India CTV CPMs are rising: the forces driving up ad rates