Digital-only audience grows 30% as 313 mn Indians skip linear TV: Report

India’s media landscape is changing rapidly as consumers spread their attention across a growing number of platforms and formats, increasing pressure on advertisers and media planners to track shifts in audience behaviour, according to Kantar’s Media Compass Report for the third quarter of 2025.

The report, updated quarterly, is based on a rolling sample of 87,000 consumers and provides estimates on reach and frequency, cross-media usage and category-linked behaviours. Kantar said the data is intended to help brands adjust media planning and investment decisions more frequently.

According to the report, digital-only audiences, defined as people who use the internet but do not watch linear television, accounted for 26% of India’s population aged 15 and above, or about 313 million people, as of Q3 2025. This group has grown by 30% from a baseline of 20% in 2024. The report noted that digital-only users are more concentrated among younger audiences and NCCS C/DE segments.

Linear television viewership showed a modest decline, falling from 705 million viewers in Q1 2025 to 689 million in Q3 2025. At the same time, the number of viewers consuming content on both linear TV and connected TV (CTV) rose to 116 million in Q3 2025, a 17% increase from Q1 2025.

The report also highlighted strong digital adoption in rural areas. Three in four digital-only users live in rural India, while 49% of new CTV viewers also come from rural markets.

In addition, the report found that 43% of Indians use online shopping platforms for product discovery, research and deal-seeking, pointing to the growing role of retail media networks earlier in the purchase journey.

Commenting on the findings, Puneet Avasthi, director, specialist businesses, South Asia, Kantar, said, “Since its launch in June, Kantar's Media Compass Report has enabled marketers to navigate the complexity of India’s media ecosystem with precision. The sharp rise of digital-only audiences, now 313 million Indians, signals a decisive shift in how content is being consumed across the country. With strong growth coming from rural and younger segments, brands must rethink how they build reach and relevance. As media behaviour becomes increasingly multi-screen, Media Compass provides timely intelligence required to plan with precision, in line with shifting audience behaviour.”

The report said the widening reach of digital media is narrowing gaps in areas and audience groups that were previously difficult to reach, requiring brands to adopt more flexible media plans that balance linear and digital investments based on campaign goals and target audiences.

It noted that brands may need to reassess long-standing assumptions about rural markets, as rising mobile and telecom-led usage is changing consumption patterns. Adapting creative formats and vernacular content for mobile-first audiences could enable more precise targeting and higher engagement in these regions.

The report also said online retail platforms are increasingly influencing consumers earlier in the purchase process. As a result, brands may need to view retail media not only as a conversion tool but also as a channel for discovery and awareness, shaping preferences at the top of the funnel.