Price hikes by leading platforms, as has recently been the case with players like Amazon Prime Video, could encourage a shift among premium users towards higher-tier plans offering ad-free experiences, 4K quality, and multi-device usage. However, these upgrades appeal mainly to urban households and tech-savvy viewers seeking elevated viewing conditions. For a large portion of the market, affordability remains king. The majority are likely to stick to budget-friendly, single-device plans, valuing accessibility over bells and whistles.
The OTT market is shaped by subscriptions for mobiles, thanks to the large base of users who view content on smartphones. For many of these consumers, keeping costs down is the top priority. “The majority of the audience consists of young, mobile-first consumers in tier-II and tier-III cities, where smartphones are the primary or sole internet access point,” said Saurabh Srivastava – chief operating officer – digital business at Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd.
Lower-priced mobile-only plans cater precisely to this demographic, offering a cost-effective entry into the OTT ecosystem without binding them to multiple devices or higher costs, Srivastava added. Conversely, multi-device subscriptions that support connected TVs, laptops, and tablets find favour among urban users and families. “While price hikes may nudge some viewers to upscale, the mass preference for economical options and mobile convenience will continue to shape India’s OTT consumption,” he emphasized.
Regional platforms rise
In the current Indian OTT landscape, lower-priced mobile-only or single device plans continue to see far greater adoption, especially for newer and regional platforms, according to Ujjwal Mahajan, co-founder, Chaupal, a platform specializing in Punjabi, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri content. Many viewers prefer starting with smaller commitments rather than large annual sums, as that feels less risky. For a majority of the audience, content is primarily consumed on mobile phones, which makes multi-device or large screen plans less relevant at the entry stage, Mahajan explained.
The availability of regional content, or even Hindi and English programming dubbed in regional languages, encourages paid subscriptions in smaller markets where people prefer watching content in their own language. That explains the push for South Indian, Punjabi, and Marathi content by bigger players like Prime Video and JioHotstar to improve subscriptions, in addition to regional language-specific OTT platforms.
Anil Goel, chief technology officer, Nielsen, agreed India’s OTT market remains largely mobile-driven, with smartphone users forming the dominant base of streaming audiences. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), mobile internet subscribers in India numbered 930 million in May 2025, compared to only 7.79 million fixed wireless broadband (such as WiFi), i.e. CTV-enabled households, showing why mobile-only plans continue to attract the largest share of subscribers.
Smartphone users favour popular shows and familiar serials suited for viewing on the move. This shows in content ranking, where blockbusters watched across India, top originals, and dubbed global hits lead most of the time. Streaming platforms are adjusting their content strategies to match these viewing habits. “Platforms are scaling multilingual libraries, dubbing global content, and pushing regional slates, while also investing in higher-quality formats to serve the growing connected-TV audience,” Goel said.
In India, cricket dominates live sports viewership, often prompting users to opt for multi-devices with large screens, including 4K plans, Devyani Ozarde, managing director and lead—media and entertainment, Accenture in India, pointed out. In contrast, general entertainment viewers prefer single-screen subscriptions.
Plateau in subscriptions
That said, entertainment industry experts recognize that paid subscriptions in India have hit a glass ceiling, and price hikes are becoming common as the cost of acquiring customers and producing quality content continues to rise. Viewers are also willing to pay more when they see clear value in the content and services being offered. This indicates that higher-priced plans, particularly those that allow viewing on larger screens and multiple devices, will continue to gain ground over time.
People who prefer premium viewing, that is, ad-free, in 4K, and across multiple devices, often find the higher-cost plans worthwhile, said Charu Malhotra, managing director and co-founder, Primus Partners, a management consultancy firm.
However, since most viewers are highly sensitive to costs and content with mobile screens, they remain loyal to budget-friendly subscriptions or watch ad-supported alternatives. “So price hikes do not suddenly create a wave of premium adoption, they just make the premium segment more premium and the mass segment more budget-focused,” she added.
Further, Amazon already operates a free streaming platform, Amazon MX Player, while services like JioHotstar, ZEE5, etc., also offer ad-supported content, though much of it may not be original or new.
