India's streaming market has consolidated rapidly. What was a fragmented landscape of 40+ OTT platforms five years ago has narrowed to a two-platform race for premium CTV advertising, with a tier of mid-scale players and a long tail of niche services. For CTV advertisers, this consolidation simplifies planning — but it also concentrates leverage with two media owners.
How the consolidation happened
Two structural events reshaped India's streaming landscape:
1. The Reliance-Disney merger
In 2024, Reliance Industries (owner of JioCinema/Viacom18) merged its media assets with The Walt Disney Company's India business (Star India, Disney+ Hotstar). The merger completed in 2025, and the two previously competing platforms — JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar — were unified under a single consumer brand: JioHotstar.
The practical implication: India's two largest CTV platforms are now one. JioHotstar controls cricket rights (IPL, international cricket via Star Sports), premium OTT content (Disney+, Star India GEC, originals), and the dominant live sport streaming infrastructure. There is no longer a separate JioCinema or Disney+ Hotstar — both now operate as JioHotstar.
2. Free IPL and the shift from Hotstar
The IPL digital broadcasting rights shifted from Disney+ Hotstar to JioCinema (Reliance / Viacom18) in 2023, and JioHotstar made IPL free. IPL had previously been behind a Hotstar paywall. Making it free drove massive adoption — JioCinema reported 32 million concurrent viewers at peak during the 2023 IPL final. This scale became part of the foundation for the merged JioHotstar platform.
Platform breakdown for CTV advertisers
JioHotstar (Reliance-Disney joint venture)
CTV significance: Highest. The dominant platform for India CTV advertising by a wide margin.
Content: IPL cricket, international cricket (Star Sports), Bundesliga, La Liga, NBA, Disney+ originals, Marvel, Star India GEC content (Star Plus, Star Vijay, Star Jalsha), premium English content, Bollywood, Hindi OTT originals.
Ad model: AVOD free tier (the dominant CTV buy); premium SVOD tier (lower ad load or ad-free).
Smart TV availability: Android TV, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast — all major platforms.
Buying: Primarily direct IO through the JioHotstar sales team. Some programmatic access through select DSPs. Live sport inventory is scarce and premium-priced.
Advertiser consideration: JioHotstar's free tier reach during live sport events is unmatched in India CTV. The platform carries both mass-market AVOD reach and a premium SVOD segment. Non-sport VOD inventory is lower-CPM and more accessible. Data quality depends on the proportion of logged-in vs anonymous users.
SonyLIV (Sony Pictures Networks India)
CTV significance: Medium. Meaningful for sports and specific content categories.
Content: Sony network content (Sony Entertainment, Sony SAB, Sony LIV Originals), sports (Champions Trophy, Pro Kabaddi League, La Liga — note: La Liga rights move between platforms), WWE.
Ad model: Hybrid. Free tier (AVOD) and premium SVOD tier.
Smart TV availability: Android TV and major platforms.
Buying: Primarily direct IO. Limited programmatic infrastructure.
Advertiser consideration: SonyLIV is relevant for sports-adjacent buys and Sony TV audience extensions. Not a primary CTV vehicle for most advertisers, but valuable for specific audience and content alignment.
Zee5 (Zee Entertainment Enterprises)
CTV significance: Medium-low for CTV specifically; larger mobile OTT reach.
Content: Zee network content (Zee TV, Zee Cinema, regional Zee channels), Zee5 Originals, Bollywood.
Ad model: Hybrid AVOD/SVOD.
Smart TV availability: Android TV and major platforms.
Buying: Direct IO.
Advertiser consideration: Zee5 is stronger on mobile OTT than CTV. Its CTV reach is meaningful for regional language audiences (Bengali, Marathi, Telugu content) that are underserved by JioHotstar. For regional-market CTV buys, Zee5 is worth including.
YouTube (Google)
CTV significance: High — but under-recognised.
Content: User-generated, creator content, music, news, long-form originals (limited).
Ad model: AVOD. YouTube Premium SVOD tier exists but is small.
Smart TV availability: Pre-installed on Android TV; available on all platforms.
Buying: Programmatic through Google Ads and DV360. TV screen targeting available. Most scalable and self-serve CTV buying option in India.
Advertiser consideration: YouTube CTV is the most accessible India CTV inventory for brands without direct relationships with platform sales teams. CPMs are lower than JioHotstar premium sport but the buying infrastructure is mature. Include YouTube CTV in any India CTV plan as the programmatic layer.
What the platform landscape means for CTV planning
Three strategic implications from the current competitive picture:
1. JioHotstar market dominance
The merger means India's two largest CTV platforms are now a single entity. This eliminates competitive pricing tension between them and concentrates leverage with one media owner. Expect direct deals and package buys across JioHotstar's unified inventory. Advertisers who rely heavily on JioHotstar for CTV reach have limited alternatives — which reinforces the case for including YouTube CTV as a complementary programmatic layer.
2. Sport is the premium CTV category
Live sport — particularly cricket — is where CTV CPMs peak in India, where concurrent viewing numbers matter, and where advertisers are most willing to pay a premium. If your category has a natural sports connection (telecom, FMCG, auto, financial services), live sport CTV is worth a dedicated budget line. If your category does not align with live sport, the non-sport VOD inventory on these platforms is more accessible and lower CPM.
3. Regional language CTV is underbuilt
The major platforms are heavily Hindi and English first. Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi CTV content exists (through Zee5, SonyLIV, and regional tiers of the major platforms) but the programmatic infrastructure for regional-language CTV targeting is not developed. This creates an opportunity for brands targeting regional markets: lower CPMs, less competition, growing audience — but limited scale and less reliable measurement.