Connected TV (CTV) advertising in India 2026: cost and inventory

Connected TV (CTV) and OTT advertising in India in 2026, CPMs, top platforms (Hotstar, JioCinema, SonyLIV), and how to plan a CTV campaign.

Connected TV (CTV) in India crossed ₹4,000Cr in ad spend in 2025 and is forecast to hit ₹10,000Cr by 2027. CPMs are 3–8x higher than display but viewability + completion rates make it the best top-funnel premium video channel.

Top CTV platforms

Disney+ Hotstar (the largest), JioCinema, SonyLIV, ZEE5, Voot, Amazon FreeVee, MX Player. Each has different content + audience profiles.

CPM benchmarks

Premium English content (sports / movies): ₹400–₹900 CPM. Regional content (Hindi / Tamil / Telugu): ₹250–₹500. Niche / Bengali / Marathi: ₹150–₹350.

IPL / cricket premium pricing

Peak IPL match 10-sec spots: ₹17L–₹25L on Star Sports linear. JioCinema digital IPL: ₹8L–₹15L per 10-sec. CTV IPL: 30–50% above non-IPL.

When CTV beats YouTube

For premium brand association (auto, luxury, premium D2C), CTV inventory like Hotstar VIP is more brand-safe and viewable than YouTube. 95%+ completion rates vs 50% on YouTube TrueView.

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Frequently asked questions

Is CTV worth it for D2C brands?

For brands with AOV ₹2,500+ and a strong creative, yes. CTV delivers premium brand association at scale. For low-ticket commodity D2C, stick to performance Meta + Google.

Can I run CTV directly or do I need a partner?

Direct buys with Hotstar / JioCinema typically need ₹50L+ per quarter. Programmatic CTV via DSPs (DV360 / TTD) works from ₹15L+. DGTG runs CTV inside larger media plans starting ₹25L/month.

What CTV inventory does DGTG access?

Hotstar, JioCinema, SonyLIV, ZEE5, both direct and programmatic. We also broker IPL-window CTV deals.