TV distributors switch to apps to keep the show going

Mumbai: India's traditional television distribution industry is pivoting towards app-based delivery as changing consumer behaviour, rising connected TV adoption and declining pay-TV subscriptions force operators to rethink how they reach households and manage distribution costs.

ET had reported in February that several television distribution companies were exploring connected TV as an extension of their existing linear channel offerings, as traditional cable TV and direct-to-home (DTH) businesses faced shrinking subscriber bases, declining revenues and mounting losses.

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Dish TV-owned Vzy has launched linear TV streaming, offering more than 200 live television channels, 29+ OTT platforms and free content through an app on connected devices. DTH operators Tata Play and Sun Direct, along with cable TV provider GTPL Hathway, are also testing similar services.

The shift comes as pay TV faces competition from premium OTT platforms at the higher end and DD Free Dish at the lower end of the market. Connected TV now reaches an estimated 62-65 million households and 207 million viewers, according to WPP Media, The Trade Desk and Ormax Media. Its audience has tripled since 2022.


The pressure on traditional distribution is reflected in subscription trends. Linear pay TV lost around 11 million subscriptions in 2025, while free TV added 4.5 million and connected TV gained approximately 10 million, according to FICCI-EY.

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For distributors, app-based delivery offers an opportunity to reduce dependence on set-top boxes and associated customer service infrastructure, reach urban consumers and combine live television with streaming content. Executives said shifting linear TV distribution to apps could significantly reduce capital expenditure, particularly by reducing the need for set-top boxes and related infrastructure.

Distributors said Trai-mandated tariff regulations would apply to linear channels delivered through connected TV apps, as the content remains the same even though the delivery platform changes.

"Technology is changing rapidly, and the linear TV industry must adapt to evolving consumer behaviour and technological innovations. We have to go where the consumer is," a senior executive at a leading cable TV company said.

"Content remains paramount, while the delivery pipe-whether cable, DTH or broadband-can vary. This transition will also help preserve the primacy of television as a screen and allow us to reconnect with urban consumers who have moved away from traditional TV services towards streaming platforms." Dish TV CEO Manoj Dobhal said Vzy would help reduce capital expenditure by delivering linear channels without set-top boxes and associated customer service infrastructure. The platform brings live television, OTT services and free content together, while adding a discovery layer to improve content access.

"Delivering TV channels through an app on connected TVs (CTVs) will allow us to offer HD-quality content seamlessly while helping stem the decline in our pay-TV subscriber base by reaching urban customers," he added.

Broadcasters, meanwhile, see app-based distribution as an opportunity to expand their reach as audiences move between screens and viewing formats. "As Indian households embrace connected TV, the appetite for high-quality broadcast programming remains as strong as ever. With more access points today, audiences no longer want to be constrained by a single screen," Kevin Vaz, CEO, Entertainment, JioStar, said. Gaurav Banerjee, MD, Sony Pictures Networks India, said audiences increasingly move between linear television and streaming depending on the content, screen and viewing occasion.