iWorld
Changing consumer behaviour as viewership spikes on ZEE5
MUMBAI: The current Covid2019 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown has not just stalled industries and economic activity but has also contributed to the ongoing change in behavioural patterns in people, including that of digital consumption. The restrictions on social interaction imposed by the government in response to the pandemic had already led to an increase in video viewership on OTT platforms. The lockdown led to more people inadvertently realising the convenience of OTT, which has shifted the way content is consumed on a day-to-day basis.
With Unlock 2.0, production studios are coming back to a new way of shooting; thus ensuring consumers get their daily dose of entertainment. With regional language channels launching new shows which are being shot in smaller towns to new episodes of old shows, viewership is growing week on week. ZEE5, India’s No.1 Contech platform, has observed a phenomenal spike in viewership as consumers consume more content on the platform, with the new Unlock!
Viewers bounce back:
As TV shows gear up to launch new episodes from 13 July, ZEE5 has observed a +52 per cent Week on-Week growth in video views across majority of languages. Shows such as, Rahichi Rahibi Tori Pain, Pavitra Rishta, Vedh Bhavishyaacha, Ninne Palladhata and many shows across Hindi, Oriya, Marathi, Kannada etc have observed a massive jump in video views.
With the increase in demand for digital content, more and more households have invested in Connected TV (CTV) devices like Apple TV, Amazon Firestick and Smart TVs. These devices provide regular televisions with internet access to stream video content on OTT platforms.
The Rise of Cord Cutting and Cord Shaving
Cord cutters are viewers who have cancelled paid multichannel subscription services like cable or satellite television. Cord shavers are viewers who have downgraded their TV packages, replacing those reduced services with on-demand video streaming services.
In a survey carried out by Eros Now and KPMG in September 2019, involved 1458 OTT users from 10 cities in India, revealed that 10 per cent of respondents prefer watching original content online. The report also revealed that OTT video could usher in cord cutting sooner than expected. While 38 percent of the respondents could consider cord cutting in the future, 14 percent of the respondents considered subscribing to OTT platforms as an alternative to TV subscriptions.
As more and more consumers decide to reduce or cancel their TV subscriptions to consume content on OTT, this has led to a rise in cord cutting and cord shaving.
The lockdown has driven this behavioural change into permanency and now manifests itself in viewers consuming old and new TV content again across all apps.
With three out of ten respondents viewing online video on telco platforms, also proved the importance of Telco platforms for the distribution of online video content. A recent study by YouGov (Feb 2020) suggested, that 42 per cent people spend time watching catchup content on OTT platforms while only 18 per cent prefer watching TV. The same report also mentioned that 72 per cent urban Indians prefer video on demand as compared to cable TV.
A large part of the TV viewing audience has migrated towards consuming content on digital-only platforms like OTT. The above table shows 10 shows which are produced for TV and are also available on ZEE5. Majority people have watched the episode on ZEE5 as compared to TV. This rise in viewing content online has opened new doors for advertisers. As more and more people move towards ZEE5, advertisers can use this opportunity to reach more people by leveraging ZEE5 content to increase their market presence.
Opportunity for Advertisers
As consumers adapt to the new way of living, they will likely continue to stream OTT content for the majority of their at-home entertainment. Hence OTT is becoming mainstream for most advertisers as the platforms are brand safe, have higher ad completion rates and cost per effective reach for the brand. As viewership increases, ZEE5 is the destination for brands to advertise which provides incremental and targeted reach through transparency in measurability.
ZEE5, Contech leader in this space, provides unique targeting through one on one targeting, lifestyle-based cohort segmentation and a powerful suite of Ads format to engage audience depending on business objective across an entire device ecosystem.
Learn more about OTT advertising and how this strategy could be implemented for your business by getting in touch with ZEE5 Ads.
MUMBAI: If cricket were a binge-worthy series, this one just dropped its most explosive pilot yet. The opening weekend of the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League has come out swinging, smashing records across both television and digital platforms and reaffirming the tournament’s unmatched pull in India’s sporting and media landscape.
Backed by two high-octane matches featuring 200-plus run chases, the tournament delivered a combined reach of over 515 million viewers across linear TV and digital platforms via JioStar’s broadcast ecosystem, including Star Sports and JioHotstar. More tellingly, engagement surged alongside reach, with total watch-time hitting 32.6 billion minutes, a sharp 26 per cent jump over the opening weekend of the previous season.
The numbers reveal a deeper shift in how India watches cricket. Connected TV (CTV) consumption rose by 30 per cent, while peak concurrency on digital platforms jumped 61 per cent, signalling a growing appetite for shared, big-screen streaming experiences. On traditional television, the momentum held strong, with TV ratings (TVR) climbing 24 per cent compared to earlier seasons’ opening matches.
A key driver of this spike has been the evolution of the viewing experience itself. This season introduced differentiated feeds, most notably a Hindi CTV broadcast featuring cricketing voices such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan. Blending expert analysis with a watch-along format, the feed has added a conversational, almost second-screen feel without requiring viewers to leave their screens.
According to JioStar CEO for Sports Ishan Chatterjee, at the opening weekend underscores not just scale but also the depth of engagement that live cricket continues to command. He noted that the combination of large-screen viewing and digital interactivity is creating a more immersive and personalised experience, while also delivering tangible outcomes for brand partners.
From the league’s perspective, the early numbers point to a tournament that continues to reinvent itself. Arun Singh Dhumal, Chairman of the IPL, said the strong start reflects how high-quality cricket paired with enhanced viewing formats is resonating with audiences nationwide, while Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Devajit Saikia highlighted the “quality of engagement” as a key takeaway, not just the scale.
Commercially too, the opening weekend signals robust advertiser confidence. The broadcast is led by co-presenting sponsors including Google (Search AI Mode), Campa Energy, and Havells & Lloyd, alongside co-powered partners such as Birla Opus, Hero Motocorp and Amazon. A long tail of associate sponsors from OpenAI and Asian Paints to Flipkart and Amul further reflects the league’s unmatched ability to aggregate advertiser interest at scale.
Taken together, the opening weekend numbers are less a spike and more a statement. With 515 million viewers, 32.6 billion minutes of watch-time, and double-digit growth across formats, IPL 2026 has not just started strong, it has set the tone for a season that looks poised to push the boundaries of both sport and spectacle.
