India’s television industry is seeing a quiet exit wave, with about 50 TV channels surrendering their broadcasting licences in the last three years as viewers steadily move to digital screens. The bigger message is simple: the TV business is still large, but the economics of running many channels is getting tougher.
Data cited from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) shows that around 50 channels have surrendered licences over the past three years. The list includes well-known broadcasters such as JioStar, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Eenadu Television, TV Today Network, NDTV and ABP Network. Broadcasters have linked these exits to internal business calls, high costs, and weak monetisation for some formats like HD news and proposed regional channels.
The pressure is coming from multiple sides—ad revenue stress, rising operating costs, and a fast-changing market where audiences are spending more time on OTT and digital video. Industry stakeholders have also flagged a “regulatory imbalance”, arguing that TV faces multiple layers of regulation while OTT platforms operate with comparatively lighter oversight. Even after these surrenders, MIB data shows India still has 916 channels authorised for downlinking (572 free-to-air and 334 pay), which tells how crowded the TV battlefield remains.
This shift is showing up clearly in advertising forecasts: WPP’s TYNY outlook projects TV ad revenue in India will decline 1.5% in 2025 to Rs 47,740 crore, even as the overall ad market grows. WPP also estimates India’s total advertising revenue could cross the Rs 2 lakh crore milestone in 2026—meaning budgets are growing, but TV is not getting the biggest slice of that growth. On the subscription side, Crisil flags steady cord-cutting pressure and notes DTH companies are trying to fight churn by pushing IPTV and bundling.
For viewers, the takeaway is straightforward: fewer “niche” TV channels may survive unless they can justify costs and deliver steady ad or subscription money. For investors tracking listed media firms, this is a reminder that the growth narrative is shifting toward digital distribution, streaming, and ad-tech-led monetisation rather than just adding more linear TV channels. As Crisil Ratings Director Ankit Hakhu put it, “cord-cutting has put pressure on DTH companies,” and IPTV is emerging as a lever to slow churn while delivering OTT and live TV via broadband.
This is not the end of television in India, but it is a clear signal that the “more channels = more growth” formula is breaking. The next big markers to watch are (1) whether TV ad declines stabilise as WPP expects, and (2) whether DTH/IPTV bundling actually holds paying customers in a streaming-first world.
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Image Caption: India’s TV industry is still big, but more channels are finding it hard to stay profitable.
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