India is not a single language CTV market. Hindi-language content dominates national platform metrics, but South Indian cinema and regional language OTT content command large, loyal CTV audiences that are frequently underserved by advertisers who plan only at the national Hindi level. Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, and Punjabi together represent a substantial fraction of India CTV viewing — and in their home markets, regional language content often outperforms Hindi content in household viewership.
The scale of regional language CTV
No single data source provides a complete picture of regional language CTV viewing in India, but several indicators point to the scale:
- South Indian cinema (Tamil and Telugu in particular) consistently produces the highest-grossing films in India on a per-screen basis. These films have massive OTT streaming demand — RRR, KGF, Pushpa, and their successors routinely become the most-watched content on platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and JioCinema in the weeks after their streaming release, including CTV.
- Sun NXT, the OTT arm of Sun TV Group, is the dominant platform for Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam content. It has a significant CTV audience in South Indian metros and tier-1 cities.
- Zee5 has substantial Bengali, Marathi, and Punjabi content libraries and corresponding CTV audiences in West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Punjab/Delhi NCR.
- YouTube is the largest platform for regional language content consumption across all device types, including CTV. Regional language music, films (officially uploaded), and YouTube-native content in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, and Bengali generate billions of views monthly.
South Indian CTV: the most developed regional market
The four South Indian language markets — Tamil (Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka diaspora), Telugu (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana), Kannada (Karnataka), and Malayalam (Kerala) — together represent one of the most economically significant CTV audiences in India.
Why South India punches above its weight on CTV
- Higher per-capita income: South Indian states, particularly Karnataka (Bengaluru), Tamil Nadu, and Telangana (Hyderabad), have higher per-capita incomes than the national average. This translates to higher smart TV penetration and more reliable broadband connectivity.
- Strong cinema culture: Tamil and Telugu cinema have massive cultural importance in their home markets. First-day-first-show culture has extended to OTT — fans stream new releases on CTV on the first day they become available on platforms.
- Platform investments: Sun NXT, Aha (Telugu-only OTT), and Hotstar (strong in Tamil and Telugu sports and film rights) all invest significantly in South Indian content, driving platform adoption on CTV.
- Sports beyond cricket: While cricket dominates national CTV, South Indian states have strong football (Kerala), kabaddi, and Pro Kabbadi League audiences that add viewership layers beyond the IPL calendar.
Key South Indian CTV platforms
- Sun NXT: Sun TV Group's OTT platform, dominant for Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. Primary access for Sun network content on CTV. Available as an app on Android TV and via web. Programmatic access is limited — largely direct or PMP.
- Aha: Telugu-only OTT platform, growing rapidly with original content and exclusive film releases. Primarily app-based on smart TVs. Direct sales model.
- Hotstar: Significant South Indian sports rights (Tamil Nadu Premier League, some IPL teams' content) and Tamil/Telugu film library. Most accessible regional platform for programmatic CTV buyers.
- YouTube: Massive regional language content footprint. T-Series, Lahari Music, and regional film studios all have large YouTube presences. CTV accessible programmatically via DV360.
- ZEE5: Strong Malayalam and Tamil content alongside its broader regional offering. Some programmatic access.
Hindi belt vs regional: the planning divide
Most India CTV media plans are built around Hindi-language content on national platforms — JioCinema, Hotstar, and Netflix Hindi originals. This creates a structural opportunity for advertisers whose target audience includes significant regional language segments:
- Competition for regional language CTV inventory is lower than for Hindi national inventory. Regional platforms and YouTube regional content are less contested, particularly outside IPL season.
- Regional language content has higher cultural resonance in its home market. A Tamil Nadu-focused campaign running on Sun NXT or Tamil YouTube channels lands differently — and often more effectively — than a dubbed Hindi ad on a national platform.
- CPMs for regional language CTV are generally lower than for national Hindi CTV inventory, reflecting lower advertiser demand rather than lower audience quality.
For brands with genuine regional market focus — a Tamil Nadu FMCG brand, a Telangana real estate developer, a Maharashtra-specific financial product — a regionally weighted CTV plan can deliver strong reach at lower CPMs than equivalent national buys.
Challenges in regional language CTV buying
Fragmented measurement
India CTV measurement is fragmented at the national level; at the regional level it is more so. Sun NXT, Aha, and similar regional platforms do not provide the same level of audience reporting as national platforms. BARC India's streaming measurement has limited coverage of regional-only platforms. Advertisers buying regional language CTV have fewer third-party data sources to rely on.
Limited programmatic access
The most valuable regional language CTV inventory — Sun NXT, Aha — is not freely available in open programmatic. Direct deals or agency relationships are required. YouTube is the main exception: YouTube's regional language inventory is fully accessible through DV360, with language and content targeting available.
Creative localisation
Running national Hindi creative on regional language platforms is common but not optimal. Tamil and Telugu audiences, in particular, respond better to creative in their language with culturally appropriate references. Brands that invest in regional language creative — even basic adaptation — see better performance metrics than those running dubbed national ads.
No unified regional reach metric
There is no unified cross-platform reach figure for, say, Tamil CTV viewers. Each platform (Sun NXT, Hotstar, YouTube, ZEE5) measures its own Tamil audience independently. A Tamil CTV plan spanning three platforms cannot be deduped. Manage each platform's frequency independently and plan for some audience overlap.
How to build a regional language CTV plan
- Define the regional scope: Which language markets are you targeting? A plan for Tamil Nadu is different from one for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana combined. Match platform selection to the target geography and language.
- Use YouTube as the programmatic anchor: YouTube's regional language content is the most accessible CTV-scale buy for regional targeting. Use DV360 with content channel and language targeting to anchor the plan.
- Layer in direct deals for reach: For significant Tamil or Telugu scale, a direct deal or PMP with Sun NXT or Aha adds CTV-specific reach beyond YouTube. This requires agency relationships or direct outreach.
- Adapt or create regional creative: Even basic adaptation — a voiceover dub, on-screen text in the local language, a culturally relevant visual cue — improves performance over national creative running unchanged.
- Time for local content cycles: Tamil and Telugu film release cycles, local sports tournaments, and regional festivals (Pongal, Ugadi, Onam, Navratri) drive viewership spikes on regional platforms. Timing campaigns around these events improves contextual relevance.