New Delhi | January 2, 2026 | In 2025, India’s digital habits offered a clear snapshot of a fast-evolving media landscape. While OTT platforms continued to dominate entertainment consumption, reels and short videos emerged as the fastest-growing formats competing aggressively for viewers’ attention. The widespread availability of smartphones, low-cost data, and on-demand content has fundamentally reshaped how Indians allocate their screen time.
Available data indicate that Indian viewers spent nearly 39 percent of their total screen time in 2025 watching films and web series on OTT platforms. High production quality, compelling storytelling, and the flexibility to watch content without time constraints have propelled OTT far ahead of traditional television. Within this segment, Netflix emerged as the most-watched platform, accounting for 62 percent of OTT viewership.
Following OTT, the second-largest digital destination was YouTube, which captured 33 percent of total viewing time. Its wide range of formats—music videos, trailers, vlogs, podcasts, interviews, and news clips—helped YouTube maintain strong appeal across age groups. Notably, creator-driven content, especially entertainment and vlogs, made up around 34 percent of overall consumption on the platform, underlining the growing influence of independent digital creators.
In contrast, television and news channels, once the primary source of mass entertainment and information, continued to lose ground. In 2025, TV and news channels accounted for just 11 percent of total screen time. Media analysts attribute this decline to fixed schedules and limited content choices, which are increasingly outmatched by the flexibility and personalization offered by on-demand platforms. Meanwhile, gaming and interactive apps together held a modest 2 percent share, indicating that video content remains the dominant driver of digital engagement.
Reels and short videos: The fight for attention
The fastest-growing segment in 2025 was reels and short-form videos, which claimed nearly 14 percent of total screen time. Instagram Reels led this category decisively, commanding 72 percent of usage within the short-video segment. Bite-sized entertainment, algorithm-driven recommendations, and endless scrolling have turned reels into a habitual form of consumption for millions of users.
Why audiences are turning to online content
The reasons behind rising digital consumption are as revealing as the numbers themselves. About 43 percent of users reported that they consume online content primarily to relax and unwind. Nearly 70 percent said they watch entertainment and comedy content, explaining the sustained popularity of light-hearted shows and humorous short videos.
Roughly 29 percent of users rely on digital platforms to stay updated with news and trends, with a large share preferring social media as their primary source. Additionally, 15 percent of viewers use online content for education, skill development, and learning new subjects. Only about 2 percent identified themselves as content creators, highlighting that the creator economy, while influential, still represents a small fraction of overall users.
Digital fatigue and a shift in mindset
Alongside rising screen time, digital fatigue has emerged as a growing concern. Around 53 percent of respondents said they want to cut down on aimless scrolling through reels, while 55 percent expressed a desire to place limits on their overall screen time.
Nearly 19 percent want to break the habit of checking their phones immediately after waking up, and 42 percent wish to reduce attention to social media notifications. Significantly, 72 percent indicated a preference to shift toward educational and skill-building content in the future, pointing to a more mindful approach to digital consumption.
The bigger picture
India’s digital behavior in 2025 suggests a complex but telling trend. While OTT remains the strongest pillar of entertainment, reels and short videos continue to aggressively vie for user attention. At the same time, audiences are becoming more aware, selective, and balance-oriented in how they consume content. This is no longer just an era of endless scrolling—it marks a transition toward more thoughtful and intentional viewing habits in a digitally saturated India.
