Kantar has released its 'Media Compass' report for the third quarter of 2025. The report provides reach and frequency metrics, cross-media interactions, and category-linked behaviours to help brands make media decisions.

According to the report, there is a rapid rise of digital-only audiences. This refers to audiences that access the internet but do not watch linear television. According to the study, 26% of India (31.3 crore) people comprise this list. It has grown by 30% from its baseline of 20% in 2024.

It added that linear TV viewers are now shifting to connected TV, which has led to the former seeing a marginal dip of 68.9 crore users from 70.5 crore in the first quarter.

The number of viewers who are watching content on both LTV and CTV has grown to 11.6 crore, a growth of 17% over Q1.

Digital only users are residing majorly in rural India. It has seen a 49% increase in CTV viewers from this part of the nation. 43% of Indians browse online shopping platforms for discovery, research, and deal-hunting. Thus, retail media networks are increasingly shaping preferences at the top of the purchase funnel.

Puneet Avasthi, director, specialist businesses, South Asia, Kantar, said, “Since its launch in June, Kantar's 'Media Compass' report has enabled marketers to navigate the complexity of India’s media ecosystem with precision. The sharp rise of digital-only audiences, now 31.3 crore Indians signals a decisive shift in how content is being consumed across the country. With strong growth coming from rural and younger segments, brands must rethink how they build reach and relevance. As media behaviour becomes increasingly multi-screen, media compass provides timely intelligence required to plan with precision, in line with shifting audience behaviour.”