Indian TV has always been a popular pastime in the country. It covers multiple genres and styles, keeping the huge population interested and engaged. But in recent years, the content on Indian TV has begun to change. The focus is shifting to what the different viewers actually want to see. So what’s changed?

Increase in TV watching

Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in access to TVs in India. The number of households with a TV has grown by more than a percent in just three years, bringing the number to more than 215 million in 2023. Additionally, it is expected that connected TVs are on the rise too, with the number hitting more than 45 million households by 2025. As such, more people are tuning in, and a wider variety of people from different backgrounds have access. This has helped to change the tide with regard to the commonly shown TV shows, eliciting a change in what people want to see.

Online gaming on the rise

One of the most influential factors, though, is the rise of online betting in many different forms. Nowadays, Indian players can easily login at Casino Days to play games or even watch live streams of gamers. Live streamers are available on sites like Twitch, or YouTube, which means that many viewers are turning to these platforms to get their fix of this type of TV and entertainment. On top of this, it’s often easier and more accessible for Indian viewers to simply log in online and find their favourite channel than to actually use a TV and watch that way.

Watching sports

Of course, let’s not forget that India is a sports watching country. There are a number of top sports in India, with cricket still reigning supreme. With this in mind, cricket is still a hugely watched game, with many leagues, clubs, and international events all very much in place on national TV. Unsurprisingly, it’s for major games that many viewers still choose to tune into their TV. Many people are also watching TV via subscriptions and using connected TV or watching through the internet. And this has all been made possible via the recent upgrades and changes in technology.

India’s technology push

Importantly, India has made massive progress in recent years to upgrade and improve its technological infrastructure. Major TV markets in India, such as BARC and Ampere, have seen huge increases in subscriptions in recent years. These subscriptions have primarily been toward free TV services and live viewing, which means that automatically, viewers are opting to watch live events over the more scripted dramas of old. For instance, the IPL and ICC were streamed for free in 202,3, and this garnered an impressive 59 million viewers, which really indicates where the interest lies from Indian views.

Of course, other streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ are also seeing huge gains as well. Both services have reported a great transition to India while also opting to support an ad-supported tier to make any subscriptions more affordable in the region rather than just focusing on ad-free options. And this is a good move. Reports suggest that 65% or more of India’s viewership still chooses to watch content on the internet with ad-supported video content. This indicates that to encourage more viewers, cheaper subscriptions need to be provided.

Whatever happens, though, TV in India is on the rise. Yes, it might be changing from the more traditional Indian TV formats, but the younger generation is here now, and it’s all about going live and instant gratification.