The CTV-focused technology will enable advertising on STAGE’s discovery interface while keeping its content-streaming experience ad-free.
Mumbai, September 8, 2026: AdTech company Frodoh has partnered with regional OTT platform STAGE to introduce a first-screen monetisation solution on the latter’s OTT application. The collaboration will allow STAGE to develop an additional advertising revenue stream through placements on its home and discovery interface, without inserting ads into the actual content-viewing experience.
The partnership is built around the growing role of Connected TV (CTV) in OTT consumption, where the first screen users encounter while opening an application can offer a high-attention environment for advertisers. Frodoh’s technology is designed to utilise this discovery stage to create advertising opportunities before viewers begin streaming content.
Under the association, Frodoh will design and deploy a CTV-first first-screen framework for STAGE. The solution will focus on factors such as viewing intent, session behaviour and content-discovery patterns to enable brands to reach audiences within the OTT platform’s navigation and discovery environment.
A key element of the proposition is that advertising will remain separate from the content itself. Instead of interrupting shows or movies with conventional ad breaks, the framework will provide brands with native placements within the platform’s discovery experience.
The solution will also give advertisers access to STAGE’s diverse regional audience base. The OTT platform offers content across multiple language markets, including Haryanvi, Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali and Hindi, creating an opportunity for brands to engage with audiences across language-specific consumer ecosystems.
For STAGE, the partnership represents an effort to expand monetisation beyond traditional advertising formats while maintaining the platform’s focus on an uninterrupted viewing experience. The first-screen approach allows the platform to introduce commercial inventory at the point of discovery rather than during content consumption.
Vinay Singhal, CEO & Co-Founder, STAGE, said, “At STAGE, our focus has always been on building a premium viewing experience around India’s diverse language audiences. Our partnership with Frodoh allows us to explore a new monetisation layer within the discovery journey, without interrupting content consumption. We see this as an opportunity to create greater value for advertisers while keeping the viewing experience seamless for our audiences.”
For Frodoh, the STAGE association extends its first-screen monetisation framework into the regional OTT ecosystem. The company sees CTV environments as an opportunity to offer advertisers high-attention inventory while giving OTT platforms an additional avenue to generate advertising revenue.
Russhabh R Thakkar, Founder and CEO, Frodoh, said, “Frodoh’s first-screen framework is built to help regional OTT platforms unlock high-attention inventory without compromising the viewing experience. Our partnership with STAGE brings this model to a diverse set of language-first audiences across Haryanvi, Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, and Hindi. With STAGE’s strong regional presence and Frodoh’s CTV-first technology, we see a significant opportunity to build a scalable, premium monetisation layer for regional OTT.”
The partnership is expected to create a new advertising touchpoint within STAGE’s OTT ecosystem, combining CTV-led technology, regional audience access and non-intrusive advertising formats. For advertisers, the model offers a way to connect with consumers during the discovery phase, while STAGE can explore incremental monetisation without changing the core content-streaming experience.