It’s a spectacle unlike any other. Over 650 million devotees have taken the holy dip at Kumbh Mela 2025 in the past 42 days—a staggering number that reaffirms faith, tradition, and India’s cultural magnitude. But let’s juxtapose this with another mind-blowing statistic—over 600 million people tuned in to watch the India-Pakistan match on JioHotstar Live within just 10 hours on February 23, 2024.

Think about that: a single cricket match in one day nearly matched the cumulative attendance of Kumbh Mela over six weeks!

Kumbh vs Cricket: The Future of Media Monetization in India

Now, here’s the crucial question: Do all those viewers on JioHotstar actually pay for a subscription? Not exactly. Most either bought a Jio data pack or subscribed to a base free plan. Yet, the platforms made huge money—not from subscriptions, but from advertising revenues fueled by record-breaking engagement.

This holds a powerful lesson for India’s media industry and entrepreneurs. In 2025, building a business isn’t just about selling a product or service—it’s about leveraging reach, engagement, and new monetization models.

SVoD vs. AVoD: The Great Indian Debate

The battle between Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) and Advertising Video on Demand (AVoD) is reshaping India’s digital entertainment industry. While giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have built loyal user bases, mass adoption remains a challenge due to India’s price-sensitive market.

On the other hand, AVoD platforms like JioCinema, YouTube, and Disney+ Hotstar have unlocked India’s love for free content—and the numbers prove it.

• IPL 2024: JioCinema streamed it for free, setting a global record of 32 million concurrent viewers during the finals.
• Cricket World Cup 2023: Over 53 million people watched the final on streaming platforms alone.

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The takeaway? AVoD thrives on accessibility, mass reach, and unparalleled engagement.

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

India’s digital content landscape is evolving rapidly:
✅ In 2022, SVoD dominated with 78.1% of India’s video streaming revenues.
✅ AVoD, which accounted for just 15% then, is projected to rise to 22.3% by 2027.
✅ Digital advertising in India has already crossed ₹50,000 crore and is expected to grow at 20% annually.

Clearly, advertising-driven models are winning—as long as the content remains high-quality and engaging.

The Rise of Freemium & Hybrid Models

To adapt, even traditional SVoD platforms are shifting towards ad-supported models:

🔹 Disney+ Hotstar pioneered the freemium model, offering both free ad-supported content and premium paid content.
🔹 Netflix & Amazon Prime Video are experimenting with ad-supported tiers globally—India will likely follow soon.
🔹 YouTube continues to dominate the free video space while pushing YouTube Premium for ad-free experiences.

The trend is clear—hybrid models are the future.

Why AVoD is India’s Future

At Pocket Films, we pioneered organized short film distribution in India. Over the years, we’ve seen how AVoD democratizes content consumption by breaking the paywall barrier and reaching the widest possible audience.

Why AVoD (and Freemium) Works Best for India

✅ Scalability: Free content attracts millions, creating unmatched engagement opportunities.
✅ Democratization: Anyone with internet access can watch, making content accessible to all.
✅ Monetization via Ads: Brands are willing to pay a premium for record-breaking viewership.

While SVoD still has its place—especially for niche and premium content—for mass adoption, AVoD and freemium models will dominate India’s media landscape.

The Entrepreneur’s Takeaway

For startups, content creators, and media entrepreneurs, the lesson is simple:
Don’t just focus on selling subscriptions—focus on reach, engagement, and alternative monetization.

Whether you’re launching a streaming platform, an online publication, a creator-driven channel, or a digital business—the formula is clear: Scale first, monetize second.Now, the big question—What’s your take? Is AVoD the future, or does SVoD still have a place in India’s digital evolution? Let’s discuss.

Credit: This article is inspired by VoD data posted on LinkedIn by Sameer Modi, Founder & MD, Pocket Films.