Why free TV channels are making a comeback on your smart TV

New Delhi: If choice paralysis were a sport, Indians scrolling endlessly on OTT menus would win gold. RunnTV thinks it has the cure. 

At the 5th Indian Digital Brand Fest, a session on the rise of Fast and connected TV in brand marketing featured RunnTV founder and CEO Manish Sinha in conversation with Anil Wanvari, founder & editor-in-chief of the Indiantelevision.com Group, where they explained why free streaming is regaining traction in India.

Sinha is betting Indians want their TV channels back. Not cable subscriptions, but free streaming channels that work like the old days: switch on, flip through, start watching.

“When you have 30 minutes on OTT, users spend 6 to 12 minutes just searching,” Sinha told Wanvari. “With Fast (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV), you’re consuming content in 28 of those 30 minutes.”

When Wanvari asked about advertising innovations, Sinha highlighted Fast’s unique advantage: “Traditional TV relies on sample metres in about a lakh households. CTV can be targeted and measurable.” CPMs range from 100 to 250 rupees for connected TVs.

The platform’s clever insight: switching channels takes exactly two clicks. “If users aren’t switching during ad breaks, they’re actually watching the ads,” Sinha explained.

Wanvari raised a practical concern: isn’t downloading another app cumbersome? Sinha countered that RunnTV aggregates multiple channels in one place. During Operation Sindoor, downloads surged as viewers flipped between Nav Bharat, ABP News, India TV and TV9 in a single app.

On customer acquisition costs, Sinha acknowledged initial challenges but noted strong organic growth. The platform now reaches 10 million monthly active users through its own app and partners including Xiaomi TV Plus and LG.

Wanvari questioned whether OEMs pushing their own Fast platforms posed competition. Sinha saw opportunity instead, “Mobile is still 70% of video consumption. OEMs aren’t targeting that.” Unlike manufacturer platforms restricted to specific devices, RunnTV works everywhere.

Wanvari pressed on language barriers. Sinha explained personalisation solves this: Gen Z users see apps built for Gen Z, millennials see content for millennials.

His ten-year vision? “To be the Tata Play of digital television.” Wanvari captured it perfectly: “You’re going to be the next CTV pioneer of India.”

With global players eyeing India and Fast adoption rising, the Runn TV founder believes the free-TV wave is only beginning to swell.