India CTV CPMs — the cost per thousand impressions paid by advertisers — range from roughly ₹150 to ₹1,500 depending on platform, format, targeting depth, deal type, and content context. Standard non-skippable pre-roll on a mid-tier platform through open programmatic sits at the lower end. Premium non-skippable pre-roll on JioHotstar during live sports pushes toward the top. The Dentsu Digital Advertising Report 2025 projects India's CTV ad market at approximately INR 1,500 crore by 2025 — with CPMs rising as advertiser demand grows faster than supply. This article explains the benchmark landscape, the variables that move CPMs, and how to read market data without being misled by headline numbers.
What does a CPM actually represent in CTV?
CPM is the price paid for one thousand ad impressions. In CTV, an impression is counted when the ad starts playing—though different platforms define this differently (some count on start, some on a percentage viewed). When you see a CPM quoted, always ask: what impression definition is being used? Server-side ad insertion (SSAI) platforms count impressions at the server layer before the viewer actually sees the ad, which inflates counts slightly relative to client-side measurement.
In India, most major CTV publishers—JioHotstar, SonyLIV, Zee5—use SSAI. YouTube CTV uses Google's own measurement stack. Samsung Ads uses OEM-level data. This means you are rarely comparing like-for-like when you stack up CPMs across platforms.
India CTV CPM benchmark ranges in 2025–2026
The following ranges are StratPulse estimates based on agency-reported rates, published industry commentary, and platform rate card analysis (2025–26). They are directional benchmarks, not guarantees — actual rates vary by campaign, buyer, and negotiation. For macro context, the FICCI-EY M&E Report 2026 and Dentsu Digital Advertising Report 2025 provide the closest publicly available market-level data on India digital video pricing.
Standard non-skippable pre-roll (broad targeting, open programmatic)
This is the floor of the market — remnant inventory transacted through open auction, with limited audience targeting and no content adjacency guarantees. (StratPulse estimate: ₹150–₹350 CPM.)
Standard non-skippable pre-roll (audience-targeted, PMP or direct)
Private marketplace deals or direct IOs with demographic or behavioural targeting command a meaningful premium. BFSI and auto brand briefs that require specific audience cohorts typically land in this band. (StratPulse estimate: ₹350–₹700 CPM depending on audience segment and platform.)
Premium platform, premium content, direct deal
Non-skippable pre-roll alongside marquee content on JioHotstar, SonyLIV, or Zee5, sold through a direct IO. During IPL season on JioHotstar, rates spike significantly above this range — see the IPL CPM article in this hub for detail. (StratPulse estimate: ₹700–₹1,200 CPM for non-IPL premium inventory.)
Live sports and live event inventory
Live cricket on JioHotstar commands the market’s highest CPMs. The scarcity of premium live inventory and the concurrent viewership scale — documented in JioHotstar’s CTV Playbook — justify the premium. Rates are not publicly disclosed; negotiate directly with Jio Ads. (StratPulse estimate: IPL live pre-roll at ₹400–₹600+ CPM.)
OEM and Samsung Ads inventory
Samsung Ads’ home screen and content discovery placements typically transact at lower CPMs than premium OTT pre-roll. A Samsung Ads and Kantar study in India documented significant brand lift outcomes, supporting the value proposition of reach and frequency across the smart TV installed base. (StratPulse estimate: ₹200–₹500 CPM depending on format and targeting.)
The key variables that move India CTV CPMs
Platform and content premium
Platform prestige matters. JioHotstar commands higher CPMs than a mid-tier OTT because it has the largest India CTV audience, the strongest live sports rights, and the most advertiser demand. Demand concentration on a limited set of premium platforms means those platforms have pricing power.
Format
Non-skippable pre-roll commands the highest CPMs because it guarantees attention. Mid-roll in long-form content also carries a premium due to high completion rates. Pause ads, overlays, and display formats transact at lower CPMs because they compete with digital display inventory broadly.
Audience targeting depth
Standard demographic targeting (age/gender) adds a modest CPM premium over broad run-of-network buying. Behavioural or purchase intent targeting—especially on platforms with strong first-party data—commands the largest premium, sometimes 2–3x the broad targeting floor.
Deal type
Direct IO deals are typically priced higher than PMP, which is typically priced higher than open programmatic. Publishers use this hierarchy to protect premium inventory and reward committed buyers. The tradeoff: direct deals offer delivery certainty; open auction offers flexibility.
Seasonality
India CTV CPMs are heavily seasonal. IPL (April–May) drives the year’s highest rates. Festive season (September–November) is the second peak. January–February and June–August are softer periods where rates fall, sometimes meaningfully.
Advertiser category
BFSI, auto, and e-commerce typically pay higher CPMs due to audience targeting requirements and competitive demand within the category. FMCG brands buying reach at scale often negotiate lower CPMs on direct deals. OTT self-promotional inventory (platforms advertising their own content) often occupies remnant inventory at internal transfer pricing.
Why India CTV CPMs are lower than global benchmarks
US CTV CPMs regularly exceed $20–$40 (approximately ₹1,700–₹3,400) for standard inventory, with premium reaching $60–$80 (FICCI-EY 2026; Dentsu 2025). India CPMs are materially lower for several structural reasons:
- Lower advertising GDP intensity: India’s advertising market as a proportion of GDP is smaller than the US, UK, or Australia. Total ad spend per capita is a fraction of developed markets. This caps what advertisers will pay per impression.
- Higher supply relative to monetised demand: India CTV reach is growing fast, but advertiser CTV budgets have not kept pace. Excess supply relative to committed demand suppresses CPMs.
- Measurement uncertainty: Cross-platform de-duplication is absent. Third-party verification is limited on SSAI platforms. This uncertainty makes advertisers reluctant to pay developed-market CPMs without the measurement infrastructure to justify the spend.
- Price anchoring from linear TV: India linear TV CPMs are very low. Advertisers arriving at CTV from linear bring price expectations anchored to linear rates. CTV publishers are slowly breaking this anchor, but it takes time.
India CTV CPMs are rising: what is driving the increase
Despite the gap versus global benchmarks, India CTV CPMs have risen directionally over the 2022–2026 period, and the trend is expected to continue. The primary drivers:
- IPL on JioHotstar as price discovery: The IPL on digital drove unprecedented CTV viewer numbers, which gave JioHotstar the leverage to set and hold premium CPMs. This has raised the market’s sense of what premium CTV inventory can command.
- Ad tier launches: JioHotstar’s ad-supported tier, Amazon MiniTV, and other platform ad tiers have brought new, engaged audiences into the CTV ad ecosystem—increasing demand for quality inventory.
- Programmatic maturation: As India DSPs and SSPs mature their CTV integrations, auction competition increases, which mechanically pushes CPMs up over time.
- Advertiser awareness: More agencies are building CTV-specific media plans rather than treating CTV as a spillover from digital video. Dedicated budget allocation means more competition for premium inventory.
How to interpret India CTV CPM data
A few principles for reading benchmark reports and rate cards:
- Ask what is included: Is the CPM for non-skippable pre-roll or does it average across formats? Averaging pre-roll and overlay CPMs produces a misleading mid-point.
- Distinguish direct from programmatic: Agency-traded programmatic CPMs are typically lower than publisher rate cards. Make sure you know which side of the market you’re looking at.
- Check the deal type: Open auction, PMP, preferred deal, and direct IO all produce different CPMs. A benchmark that mixes these is not actionable.
- Note the time period: IPL-season data will skew any annual average significantly. If you want an off-season planning number, make sure the benchmark explicitly excludes peak-season inventory.
- Treat ranges as floors and ceilings: Benchmarks describe the range of actual transactions. Your deal will land somewhere in the range based on your targeting, budget, commitment level, and negotiating leverage.
India-specific context: the CPM conversation in practice
In the Indian market, CPM negotiations on direct deals are often quoted net of agency commission. Publishers quote gross CPMs; agencies apply a commission of typically 15–20%, meaning the net CPM paid by the advertiser is lower than the headline rate. When comparing CPMs across campaigns or platforms, always clarify whether numbers are gross or net.
Barter deals are also common in India CTV—particularly with smaller platforms—where advertisers exchange media visibility for brand association or content co-production rather than pure cash. These arrangements make CPM benchmarking harder because the effective CPM is never published.
For media planners building India CTV budgets: use the ranges in this article as a planning scaffold. Run a focused test campaign of ₹10–20 lakh to collect your own first-party CPM data from the platforms you are buying on, then adjust your model from the inside out.