Mumbai: It’s the content era. Digital has surged like never before and content consumption in India is seeing a revolution. Tucked away safely somewhere within this content storm is a trend of its own that has seen the rise of on-demand content, streaming services, and personal viewing over HDTV. This has been fuelled even further as Connected TV is growth is bursting at the seams.
A recent report by Finecast-GroupM states that the number of connected TVs reached 22 million in the last year and is projected to reach 30 million this year. And yet, these numbers constitute merely the tip of the iceberg. While these are household figures, Connected TV is known to be a co-viewing experience, which bumps up the estimated number of individuals watching content on Connected TVs to 80-90 million. According to recent Google data, in May 2022 alone, over 60 million people in India streamed YouTube on their TVs.
The Connected TV advent is also driven by a few good reasons. For one, the convenience and affordability it offers are a huge draw for Indian viewers. Another reason is the gamut of features on offer during live sports streaming coupled with a friction-free user experience. That Connected TV can stream live matches across various on demand platforms, driving more viewership for live sports and sports content is a bonus. Moreover, the growth of broadband in India has risen.
As of 2022, the number of broadband connections in India has risen to 32 million, making it easier for people to stream content on Connected TVs. In the past few years, we have also seen the rise of smartphone users and mobile data getting cheaper, a lot many consumers and even smaller metros have shifted to streaming live content on their Connected TV via mobile hotspots.
When these dynamics are juxtaposed against the declining interest in linear TV, the bigger picture becomes apparent. In 2022, 4.3 million Indian urban households watched IPL’22, whereas only 3.6 million households watched ICC T20 World Cup’22 on HD TV and 1.5 million households in mega cities viewed the tournament on HD channels. With these dipping figures, it is only a matter of time until the majority of the population polarizes exclusively towards Connected TV viewing.
Keeping in line with these rapidly developing trends, TATA IPL’s streaming partner Viacom18 recently announced that the marquee T20 league will be offered for no subscription fee on JioCinema for the upcoming edition. The move is seen as a game changer given that it will boost digital viewership for the league by virtue of eliminating the paywall barrier for consumers. Viacom18 is also expected to bring 16 unique feeds in 12 languages wherein regional content will play a critical role in taking the TATA IPL to the length and breadth of the country.
Indian Television spoke to a few industry experts on the rise of Connected TV and how this is expected to amplify the interest for the TATA IPL this year. Maruti Suzuki India Executive Director Shashank Srivastava said, “Globally, as per recent reports, Connected TV spending is growing faster than Traditional TV spending Connected TV is forecasted to grow with significant double digits; 23.7 per cent in 2022 and 20.2 per cent in 2023 respectively.”
“In India, the current Connected TV HH by various estimates stands at 15 miliion. With smart TVs accounting for about 90 per cent of new TV shipments (EY report) and the upcoming 5G rollout, the no Connected TV household is expected to reach 40 million+ in the next 2 3 years.”
“Certain sports like cricket, football etc. are best enjoyed with friends and family on TV whether at home or outside thus for advertisers, Connected TV becomes a potential medium to reach both cord cutter and premium viewers. Now with platforms like Jio Cinemas offering FIFA and maybe IPL without any subscription, Connected TV viewership is expected to go up further. MSIL has been leveraging the Connected TV for various product campaigns and associations as in the case of the last FIFA world cup or the recent India New Zealand cricket series.”
WaveMaker CEO South Asia Ajay Gupte opines, “In Connected TV there is a massive opportunity. Why do I believe that? I believe that because the connectivity depends on three things, having the right television set. Today, I believe 95 per cent of all televisions being sold are smart, it is not today but being sold for the past four years. A lot of people have already got smart TVs, and Wi Fi at home and with the Wi Fi costs falling therefore we are seeing an increasing number of households getting Wi Fi. I believe there are about 22 million households with Wi Fi. The third thing is the subscriptions to the various apps and services, some of which are free and some paid, the free subscription is called Freemium. So, getting access to those apps is the third part.”
“The first part is on its own sorting itself out. Part two is sorting itself because it's getting cheaper. I think every year, prices are falling and competition is growing, and it's going to become more accessible. I think it's going to be easier and easier for consumers to access it now, the beauty of Connected TV is the access to unlimited content. And to me, I think that is an advantage that is not avoidable. Any consumer once exposed to this kind of facility would want to do it. So I think Connected TV has a very bright future.”
“But I do believe it has all the right ingredients and the factors to be able to grow. I think what Jio is doing very smartly is they're making it free. And a lot of consumers will get to watch IPL for free, it might just turn things and tip the tables or make people subscribe.”
“Brands are reaching out to consumers in their relevant pockets and relevant to their consumers. So that's the plan of Jio to reach out to those consumers. And if I'm able to provide that consumer base, there will be a reduction. I'm not saying that this will kill a person today, that’s still a long way away. But at least it's providing today with a respectable base of consumers that they can communicate with.”
Coca Cola India and Southwest Asia vice president - marketing Arnab Roy says,”But today Connected TV is very important and that is where the future is in terms of people consuming content. Very soon we believe that most of India would be watching IPL on Connected TV, their phone or any other device.”
Satya Collections Piyush Gorasia from Bokaro Jharkhand, “My son plays football actively while studying for his CA. We recently purchased a smart TV so we could watch FIFA together when he came back from his studies. Now, this was one of the best watching experiences for us as a family.”
