Action and thrillers accounted for over 54% of OTT viewership in 2025: Report

Ultra Media & Entertainment Group has released its Ultra Media OTT Insights Report 2025, outlining viewing trends and audience behaviour on its Hindi-language streaming platform Ultra Play, based on internal viewership data.

Genre-wise, action films accounted for 29.07% of total consumption on Ultra Play in 2025, followed by thrillers at 24.92%. Comedy made up 12.83% of viewing, romance 11.05% and crime 5.68%.

Ultra Play reported 250% year-on-year growth in 2025, supported by the addition of more than 700 new titles. Festive-period viewership rose by nearly 300%.

Geographically, viewership was led by Delhi and Mumbai, followed by cities such as Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Patna. The audience skewed male, with an 80:20 male-to-female ratio, and nearly 70% of viewers were under 44 years of age, led by the 18–24 group.

Dubbed South Indian films contributed 31.2% of total viewership in 2025. The most-watched titles of the year included Garudan, Kooman - The Night Watchman, Kodai Diaries, The Sketch Artist - Identity and 29th February.

According to the report, post-2000 Hindi films accounted for the largest share of viewership on Ultra Play in 2025, recording the highest watch time and completion rates. Films from the 1990s followed, while titles from the 1950s to the 1970s continued to attract steady audiences.

The report noted that classic Hindi films are increasingly being watched by younger viewers. Gen Z and millennials were found to be discovering older titles, driven by improved restorations, accessibility and curated libraries.

Among pre-1980 films, Don, Amar Prem, Bobby, Aradhana and Mera Naam Joker were the most-watched titles in 2025. From the 1990s and early 2000s, films including Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., Andaz Apna Apna, Tezaab, Sarfarosh, Koi… Mil Gaya, Khalnayak, Karan Arjun and Ghayal recorded the highest engagement and repeat viewing.

Internationally, Ultra Play recorded strong engagement from the UAE, followed by the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand. The platform also saw emerging viewership from markets such as China and Bangladesh.

The report draws on first-party data from Ultra Play and analyses content consumption across eras, genres, regions and age groups. It is based on platform usage rather than surveys, tracking viewing time, completion rates and repeat consumption.

Commenting on the findings, Sushilkumar Agrawal, CEO, Ultra Media & Entertainment Group, said, “What this year’s data makes clear is that audiences don’t see cinema in eras, they see stories. Whether it’s revisiting the emotional depth of Amar Prem, the romance of Bobby, the cultural imprint of Don or the timeless scale of Mera Naam Joker, legacy films, when restored, curated and presented right- can compete head-to-head with modern blockbusters. That belief has guided Ultra for decades, and 2025 only strengthened it.”

Rajat Agrawal, COO & Director, added, “Ultra’s journey mirrors the evolution of Indian content consumption itself, from the VHS era to television, digital syndication and now OTT. What has remained constant through every phase is our focus on owning, preserving and monetising great stories. The growth we’re seeing today on Ultra Play is a result of decades of content stewardship combined with a data-led approach to modern viewing habits.”

Ultra Media said subscriber numbers are projected to cross 500,000 by 2026 and 1 million by 2027, alongside planned platform upgrades including offline viewing and improved streaming quality.