MUMBAI: If content is king, then drama is the undisputed emperor of India’s OTT court. Zee5 has revealed its FY25 viewership numbers, clocking a colossal 105 billion minutes of watch time, with audiences binging on high-stakes drama and high-definition screens.
Drama ruled the charts, pulling in over 40 billion minutes alone, proving that when it comes to streaming, heightened emotions and tangled plots still reign supreme. And where are viewers watching? A solid 64 per cent of premium content watch time came from smart TVs, making the living room the new theatre of choice for Indian families.
Leading the charge in high-res viewing, South India accounted for 46 per cent of all 4K consumption. Tamil, Telugu and Kannada titles like Aindham Vedham, Paruvu, Thalaimai Seyalagam, and Vikkatakavi featured in the most-watched lists, while films such as Sankranthiki Vasthunam, Hanu-Man, and Identity dominated screens. Meanwhile, Bengali viewership surged, breaking into the top three languages across Hindi-speaking markets.
Zee5 Originals also had their blockbuster moment. Mrs., starring Sanya Malhotra, shattered records with the platform’s biggest opening weekend ever over 150 million streaming minutes. The socially charged narrative around gender roles and individual agency resonated across metros and smaller towns alike.
Hindi thriller Gyaarah Gyaarah led as the most-watched web series pan-India except in the South, where homegrown dramas continued to take the spotlight. Bingeing peaked between 5 pm and 11 pm, with half of total prime-time viewing happening post 7 pm.
The report also flagged a doubling of 4K pack adoption in FY26, a clear marker of India’s pivot towards quality-led viewing. With regional storytelling, multi-language packs and big-ticket dramas leading engagement, Zee5’s language-first strategy is paying off delivering not just what India wants to watch, but exactly how and why they want to watch it.
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