Case Study Report: Decline of Traditional TV Media in India Due to the Rise of OTT Platforms

Abstract

This case study examines the structural decline of traditional television viewership and revenue in India amidst the rapid growth of Over-The-Top (OTT) digital platforms. It synthesizes audience, subscriber, and advertising trends from recent industry reports to reveal shifts in consumer behaviour, economic impacts on television broadcasters, and strategic responses by TV channels—focusing on the music television channel 9XM as a representative case. Findings indicate a notable reduction in pay-TV households, growing OTT penetration (601 million users in India in 2025), and a redistribution of content consumption and advertising spend favoring OTT. The study concludes with implications for TV broadcasters and recommendations for hybrid media strategies.

Introduction

India’s media landscape is undergoing a major transformation as OTT platforms increasingly replace traditional television as the primary entertainment medium. Driven by high-speed internet, affordable smartphones, and the rapid expansion of streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and JioCinema, consumer viewing habits have shifted toward digital, on-demand content.

Globally and in India, streaming has overtaken broadcast and cable TV in overall viewership share. By 2025, India’s OTT audience reached around 601 million users, with strong growth in paid subscriptions and connected TV usage, indicating that OTT content is increasingly consumed on television screens themselves. In contrast, India’s pay-TV households have sharply declined, with further reductions expected in the coming years.

Advertising revenues have also shifted, with digital media now surpassing television advertising as brands redirect budgets toward OTT and online platforms. Viewer behavior reflects this trend, as a significant share of audiences now consume content exclusively through digital platforms, while reliance on conventional TV continues to fall.

Traditional TV channels, including music channels like 9XM, face growing challenges. Although 9XM once enjoyed massive reach, changing audience preferences toward personalized, on-demand platforms such as YouTube and Spotify have reduced engagement with linear music television. This reflects a broader decline in relevance for scheduled TV programming.

The transition has wider economic and employment impacts, including revenue losses for cable and DTH operators and significant job reductions in the cable TV ecosystem. Overall, the shift from television to OTT represents a structural change in India’s media industry, compelling traditional broadcasters to adopt hybrid digital strategies, OTT partnerships, and innovative engagement models to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Conclusion

The shift toward OTT platforms represents not just a trend but a paradigm change in media consumption. Traditional TV channels must innovate: • Embrace digital distribution (e.g., hosting curated content on OTT platforms). • Leverage data analytics to personalize offerings. • Develop hybrid monetization models, including ad-supported streaming and content licensing. Failing to adapt may result in further decline of linear TV relevance and revenue, particularly among younger, urban audiences.

References

[1] India’s OTT audience reaches 601 million; Connected TV users surge 87%. (The Economic Times) [2] Pay-TV subscriber decline and job losses in the cable ecosystem. (Angel One) [3] Digital media overtakes TV advertising. (ETBrandEquity.com) [4] Decline of traditional TV viewership in India. (India Bytes - Indias leading news portal) [5] 9XM cumulative reach (historical BARC data). (Broadcast and CableSat) [6] Economic effects on DTH and cable revenues. (Business Standard) [7] Cable operator employment impact. (EY)

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Achyut Agrawal, Nisha Ahuja. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.