India's digital-only viewership reaches 313 million in Q3CY25: Report

In contrast, linear TV is estimated to have seen a marginal drop in viewership to 689 million in Q3CY25, compared with 705 million in Q1CY25

tv viewership, TRP, television, channels, media, entertainment, remote, OTT — The report further stated that the number of viewers who are watching content on both linear TV and CTV rose by 17 per cent to 116 million in the July-September quarter compared with Q1CY25.

2 min read Last Updated : Dec 16 2025 | 11:26 PM IST

With three in four digital-only users living in rural regions, India’s overall digital-only viewership reached 313 million in the third quarter of CY2025, according to the Kantar Media Compass report.

Similarly, connected TV (CTV) saw a 49 per cent rise in viewership coming from rural India. The report, based on a sample size of 87,000 consumers for Q3CY25, considered digital-only viewers as those who accessed the internet, but did not watch linear TV. The overall digital-only viewership represented 26 per cent of the country’s population over the age of 15.

“The sharp rise of digital-only audiences, now 313 million Indians, signals a decisive shift in how content is being consumed across the country,” said Puneet Avasthi, director, specialist businesses, South Asia, Kantar in a statement. “With strong growth coming from rural and younger segments, brands must rethink how they build reach and relevance. As media behaviour becomes increasingly multi-screen, Media Compass provides timely intelligence required to plan with precision, in line with shifting audience behaviour.”

In contrast, linear TV was estimated to have seen a marginal drop in viewership to 689 million in Q3CY25, compared with 705 million in Q1CY25. The report further stated that the number of viewers who watched content on both linear TV and CTV rose by 17 per cent to 116 million in the July-September quarter compared with Q1CY25.

“Digital is rapidly bridging the reach gap in historically media dark geographies and cohorts of the country, making it essential for brands to build flexible plans that seamlessly balance linear and digital investments in line with campaign objectives and target audiences,” the report noted.

Additionally, with 43 per cent of Indians browsing online shopping platforms for discovery, research, and deal-hunting, the digital medium has become crucial for retail platforms.