YouTube Positions Connected TV as Indias New Prime-Time Screen

YouTube has announced that its Connected TV (CTV) platform is becoming the country’s primary prime‑time viewing medium. At an industry event in Bali, Gunjan Soni, YouTube’s Country Managing Director for India, described the service as “India’s prime‑time screen, where internet authenticity meets cinematic quality on the largest canvas in the home.” Soni said the platform is collapsing the distance between different video formats and entertainment ecosystems, bringing them all onto India’s largest screen.

According to YouTube, CTV is its fastest‑growing screen in India and reaches more than 75 million adults. The company added that the service is expanding through a “fluid multi‑format viewer journey with a completely diversified slate of premium content.” The move follows a broader trend of viewers shifting from mobile devices to larger screens for longer‑form content.

Commerce is a key pillar of the strategy. Soni highlighted the “content‑to‑commerce flywheel,” noting that more than 200 million logged‑in users searched for shopping content on the platform last year. The company said the flywheel is already taking off in India, with shopping watch time growing more than 250 % year‑over‑year. The approach relies on creators’ recommendations, which users trust.

The creator economy is cited as a vital macroeconomic pillar. Soni said India’s creative economy has matured into a force that drives national GDP while reshaping global pop culture in real time. She added that India represents a blueprint for how a digital creator economy can achieve institutional scale.

YouTube also emphasized its role as a partner for media and entertainment companies. The platform described itself as an “indispensable, collaborative growth partner.” The shift toward CTV and deeper fandom on YouTube, Soni said, offers a “massive opportunity to expand the entire commercial pie and give premium entertainment content a highly profitable, multi‑layered lifecycle.”

Sports content is a major driver of engagement. Soni stated that YouTube owns the high‑intent sports conversation 365 days a year, long before a match begins and after it ends. According to YouTube, views on cricket‑related content reached 190 billion in 2025. The company added that 96 % of surveyed Indian cricket viewers watched cricket content on YouTube or YouTube Shorts in the most recent tracked month.

YouTube’s Shorts service also contributes to the platform’s reach. The company said more than 650 million people log in each month to watch Shorts. Shorts has become a significant channel for short‑form content, complementing the longer‑form offerings on CTV.

The platform’s “infinite stadium” framing positions it as a place where creator‑led storytelling and official global partnerships intersect, capturing every layer of fan passion. This model aligns with YouTube’s broader strategy of integrating entertainment, commerce, and community across multiple screens.

In summary, YouTube is positioning its Connected TV service as India’s new prime‑time viewing platform, backed by a growing adult audience, a robust commerce ecosystem, and a strong sports and creator presence. The company’s focus on diversified content, creator partnerships, and shopping integration signals a continued push to capture a larger share of the Indian entertainment market.