Connected TV goes mainstream, reaching 166 million viewers: Kantar Media Compass
Published on: July 16, 2026
Mumbai, 16th July 2026: India’s media landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, with Connected TV (CTV) emerging as an increasingly important part of how consumers engage with the big screen. As viewing behaviours evolve across Linear TV and connected platforms, CTV is creating new opportunities for brands to reach audiences that may otherwise be missed through traditional TV-led media plans.
The latest findings from Kantar’s Media Compass Report, a quarterly estimator based on a rolling sample of 87,000+ consumers, reveal that CTV has evolved from a complementary channel to a mainstream viewing behaviour. Delivering incremental reach, it enables advertisers to engage premium, younger and geographically diverse audiences with greater precision.
Commenting on the findings, Puneet Avasthi, Director, Specialist Businesses, South Asia, Kantar, said: “The rapid evolution of Connected TV is reshaping how brands approach audience targeting. Our latest Media Compass insights show that the CTV opportunity is not just about scale, it gives a sizeable 4% incremental reach of audiences not available on LTV with a strong Metro Male skew. By providing a continuous, cross-media view of consumer behaviour across TV, digital and print, Media Compass helps brands move beyond siloed planning to maximise reach, reduce duplication and drive greater effectiveness from their media investments.”
Kantar Media Compass key findings (Q1 2026):
- CTV has entered the mainstream: CTV reached 166 million monthly viewers (aged 15+) in Q1 2026, a 23% increase over Q1 2025. No longer a niche viewing platform, CTV has become a mainstream screen for entertainment, making it an essential component of advertisers’ media plans.
- More than one in three CTV viewers are beyond Linear TV’s reach: 59 million viewers consume content exclusively on CTV, representing 36% of the total CTV audience. As audiences continue to fragment across screens, CTV has become a critical extension to traditional TV campaigns, enabling brands to reach consumers that Linear TV alone cannot
- CTV is attracting premium audiences while expanding beyond metros: 60% of CTV viewers belong to NCCS A, making it an ideal platform for premium and high-consideration categories. At the same time, one in three CTV users lives in rural India, highlighting CTV’s growing footprint beyond urban centres and giving brands the opportunity to engage both affluent and aspirational audiences through a single platform
- CTV reaches the heart of India’s buying audience: CTV has a balanced audience profile, with 53% men and 47% women, while 25–44 year-olds account for nearly half (46%) of all viewers. This positions CTV as a powerful channel for brands looking to engage consumers in their peak earning and purchasing years across categories ranging from FMCG and consumer durables to technology and entertainment.
- The next phase of CTV growth will be driven by stronger connectivity: While CTV adoption continues to accelerate, only 46% of viewers currently have a fixed internet connection at home. As broadband infrastructure continues to expand, brands can expect CTV’s reach and engagement to deepen further, unlocking even greater opportunities for future growth.
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