India’s AVOD Streaming Market Expanding at Over Twice the Rate of SVOD
Plus Coming Up: The Future of Ad Tech & CTVs at STEP Dubai 2025
Hey Streamers 👋,
A warm welcome to the 72nd edition of the “Streaming in India” newsletter, your weekly news digest about streaming players, OTT trends, and analyses. If you are not already a subscriber, please sign up and join thousands of others who receive it directly in their inbox every Wednesday.
The Future of Ad Tech & Streaming at STEP 2025
The STEP Conference has long been the Middle East’s leading tech festival, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders across media, AI, fintech, mobility, and more. But 2025 marks a shift—Ad Tech is finally getting its moment.
For the first time, STEP is hosting an extensive Ad Tech track, powered by MBC Media Solutions (view track), signaling the growing importance of advertising technology in a region where streaming, gaming, and digital content consumption are booming.
From a media and streaming perspective, two tracks stand out:
📌 AI Track (view track) – AI is now at the core of content discovery, recommendation engines, and programmatic advertising, revolutionizing how audiences engage with video.
📌 Ad Tech Track (view track) – The backbone of the digital economy, ad tech is evolving to power monetization for OTT platforms, content owners, and sports rights holders in the MENA region as folks leverage hybrid business models.
The Future of Ad Tech & Connected TVs in MENA
I’m excited to be a panelist at The Future of Ad Tech and Connected TVs in MENA, where I’ll be drawing from my experience as a board observer and business GTM lead for MENA at Adsolut Media—Asia’s fastest-growing video ad network. In fact I will share some learnings around AD Tech evolution in India and how agencies and brands have learnt to work effectively with ad networks, awareness creation opportunities, ad formats and other dynamics about buying and selling ad inventories on video.
Adsolut Media works with content owners, OTT platforms, sports rights holders, and publishers, helping them monetize video content across devices on a revenue-share basis. With CTV viewership rising and programmatic video advertising gaining traction, this panel will unpack the opportunities and challenges in scaling ad-supported models in MENA.
Why This Matters for MENA’s Streaming Economy
As subscription fatigue sets in and AVOD (Ad-Supported Video on Demand) and FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) models expand, advertising will be the key revenue driver for digital content in MENA. Expect deep discussions at STEP 2025 on:
The evolution of programmatic advertising in MENA – Why global players are doubling down on ad-supported content.
The rise of Connected TV (CTV) and FAST channels – How the future of streaming in MENA is shifting toward hybrid and ad-driven models.
The role of AI in ad tech – Smarter audience targeting, real-time bidding, and content-driven monetization.
Now back to “Streaming in India”!
Agenda
The Growth of AVOD and Ad Tech: Unlocking India's Digital Video Potential
And….Action!
The Growth of AVOD and Ad Tech: Unlocking India's Digital Video Potential
In keeping with the Ad Tech / AVOD focus of this newsletter, I would like to share a quick refresher on where we stand for Ad Supported monetization for Indian streaming. We are all also aware that streamers the world over are going back to AVOD monetization OR hybrid monetization at the very least.
India has always been an AVOD-first market, and today, ad-supported streaming is stronger than ever. With digital advertising innovations, AI-driven targeting, and the rise of Connected TV (CTV), AVOD is no longer just an alternative to subscription models—it’s a powerful, ROI-driven ecosystem that brands and advertisers are leveraging to capture attention and drive engagement.
1. India’s AVOD Market is Expanding Rapidly
India’s digital video audience has surpassed 450 million users, with projections to hit 600 million by early next year. AVOD platforms are not a fallback option but the preferred choice for a vast, diverse audience. The rise of regional content, affordable data, and multi-screen behavior has made digital video an essential part of India’s entertainment landscape. (source)
2. AVOD: The Go-To Model for Advertisers
Brands are actively shifting ad dollars to AVOD platforms because they deliver measurable ROI and high audience engagement:
Unlike traditional TV, AVOD platforms offer on-demand, interactive ad formats that enhance recall and conversions.
Advertisers can target specific demographics and interests, maximizing the efficiency of their ad spend.
India’s price-sensitive consumers embrace free content with relevant ads, making AVOD a highly sustainable model. (source)
3. Online Video Advertising is the Growth Engine
India’s online video advertising market is seeing unprecedented growth:
📊 Holds a 28% share of India's total digital advertising spend, projected to reach 30% by 2025.
📊 Expected 23.24% CAGR, outpacing social media and paid search.
📊 Short-form videos, live-streaming, and AI-driven ad placements are fueling this surge. (source)
4. Amazon MX Player: A Blueprint for AVOD Success
Amazon MX Player is a prime example of how brands and platforms can harness AVOD’s full potential:
📺 250 million monthly active users, making it India’s largest AVOD platform.
📺 1.4 billion+ Play Store downloads, now deeply integrated with Amazon’s ecosystem.
📺 Brand-safe, high-engagement environment – Regional content drives hyper-local audience targeting.
This case study proves that AVOD is a powerhouse for engagement and monetization, offering scalability, precision, and measurable impact for brands. (source)
5. The Role of AI, CTV, and Advanced Ad Solutions
The evolution of AVOD is being supercharged by AI, CTV, and programmatic advertising:
AI-Driven Targeting: AI optimizes ad placements and personalization, improving engagement and conversions.
Connected TV (CTV) Growth: As Smart TVs become mainstream, AVOD platforms are pioneering CTV-first ad strategies.
Advanced Ad Formats: Features like “Add to Cart” buttons below video ads and immersive storytelling are making ads more engaging and actionable. (source)
6. What’s Next? AVOD’s Bright Future in India
With subscription fatigue growing and consumers preferring ad-supported content, AVOD’s influence will continue expanding:
Hybrid Monetization Models: Platforms will mix AVOD with transactional (TVOD) and premium ad-free tiers.
Regional AVOD Boom: Advertisers will double down on local-language content, unlocking deeper audience engagement.
Branded Content & Commerce: More brands will invest in integrated storytelling and in-video commerce, bridging the gap between advertising and entertainment.
Final Thoughts: AVOD is Not Just Growing—It’s Leading
India’s streaming ecosystem has fully embraced AVOD as the dominant revenue model. For brands, advertisers, and platforms, this isn’t a fallback—it’s the future. The ability to capture attention and drive meaningful engagement at scale makes AVOD an indispensable pillar of India’s digital economy.
Pushpa 2: The Rule is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language action drama franchise movie now on Netflix. A sequel to Pushpa: The Rise (2021), it is the second installment in the Pushpa film series. Pushpa 2 wrapped up its theatrical run with a monumental ₹1785.84 crore worldwide gross, second highest ever only after Baahubali 2.
Streaming in India is a weekly newsletter exploring the trends that matter to streaming professionals in India. If you are not already a subscriber, sign up and join several others who receive it directly in their inbox every Wednesday.
Interested in advertising with The Streaming Lab and reach a qualified audience in MENA & India? Email me
Please sign up for my other newsletter focused on “eyeball economy” focused startups (Media, Entertainment, Gaming, Ad Tech & Sports), the Indian / Middle East startup and venture capital ecosystem; in your inbox every Monday: Mehtta Ventures Dubai. You can also reach out to us to invest in any of these companies.