The Indian streaming services market is expected to see a significant jump in paid subscriptions in 2025, driven by ongoing ICC Champions Trophy, the consolidation of certain over-the-top (OTT) platforms, and the rising appeal of low-cost subscription plans.
S&P Global Market Intelligence, in its latest forecast, stated that the OTT market in India would see more than 16 crore paid subscribers by the end of the year 2025.
Citing low-cost subscription plans that appeal to lower-income consumers as the major driver, the analyst platform said that India would see a shift from free streaming to more subscription video on demand (SVOD), where customers had to pay to view the content. “More consumers are now accustomed to online sports viewing and are expected to pay,” said Jessica Fuk, Media Analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“The launch of JioHotstar and the restoration of the paywall for the ICC Champions Trophy could upend the Indian over-the-top market in the same way JioCinema had done with the free streaming of the Indian Premier League (IPL),” stated the media analyst.
The knockout stage of the ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled to begin next week, with two semi-finals—first in Dubai on March 4 and second in Lahore on March5—and the final in Lahore or Dubai on March 9.
When IPL and major sporting events shifted to free streaming in the past couple of years, the SVOD market in India saw major disruption. This caused a significant slump in paid subscriptions of Disney+ Hotstar, which was then the licensee of the digital rights of the IPL, reasoned S&P Global Market Intelligence. “The return of the ICC Champions Trophy after an eight-year hiatus and the IPL, which is a month away, could accelerate subscription growth on JioHotstar in the first two quarters to a new high.”
Moreover, the launch of JioHotstar is expected to bring major adjustments in subscription plans across the OTT market, as platforms look to maximise profitability. “The merged service could further expand its paid subscriber base, estimated to account for over 30 per cent of the total subscription video-on-demand subscriptions in India as of year-end 2024,” said media analyst Jessica Fuk.
This could mean that the major sports events such as the IPL might follow the ICC Champions Trophy, and go behind a paywall, ditching the free streaming model.
