Mumbai: In the last few years, if one device has exponentially grown to the point of becoming a necessity, it is connected TV. As per the FICCI-EY report 2022, CTVs have increased to ten million in India and are predicted to increase to 40 million by 2025. The CTV market size is building on the same lines as smartphone penetration has in the past. 

Hence recognising this growth opportunity India TV which is one of the leading Hindi news channels in India, has now become the only newsgroup to have two dedicated CTV channels along with the main channel stream on CTV devices. The group has introduced India TV Live, India TV Speed News and India TV Aap ki Adalat. Additionally, it is planning to launch a few more soon in future. 

The decision is in line with the notion that CTV is changing the news landscape. CTV has emerged as a touchpoint of interest due to its unique ability to bring together the large-screen TV experience. Additionally, it has the targeting/measurement capabilities of digital. It also gives access to affluent urban households. And lastly, it allows viewers to consume content as per parameters such as nature of content, convenience, and consistency. Hence, India TV believes that there is an opportunity to go beyond the 24-hour barrier of providing content and facilitating structured information to the viewer.  

India TV managing director and CEO Ritu Dhawan said, “Considering the exponential growth of the CTV market, it has become imperative to expand our content offerings on this platform. By launching these channels, we want to cement our position as a leader in the CTV space. We also want to show that value to our viewers by providing them contextualised, nuanced, and relevant information in multiple formats, themes, and devices on this platform.”  

CTV's value proposition is not just limited to content creators. CTV provides new ways for targeted advertising. Advertisers can reach specific audiences with relevant user-based ads, leading to more effective advertising campaigns.  

Regarding ad dynamics in the CTV space, Ritu Dhawan further added that “The way digital advertising has increased its market penetration across the ad industry and advertiser verticals, CTV is becoming a preferred medium for advertisers. As CTV is enabled with the power of the internet, ad opportunities and ad formats have increased for advertisers.”  

The CTV ecosystem is forever evolving, thanks to rapid technological advancements. Keeping this in mind, India TV believes that it is essential to present content in the viewer’s familiar navigation and content styles. “We believe this approach has helped us maintain our position as India’s Most Engaged News Video Publisher,” Dhawan further stated. Moving forward, digital-first, localisation, explainers, and user-generated content will define content consumption in the future.