With subscription growth plateauing, OTT platforms are increasingly adopting TV-style title sponsorships for fiction shows to unlock new revenue and boost brand recall. Platforms like JioHotstar, Zee5, Hoichoi, and aha are partnering with brands such as Vimal, Denver, Cera, Lux Inferno, Horlicks, and Bru, offering visibility across posters, in-app placements, social media, and sometimes within the storyline itself.
Sponsorship packages typically range from ₹25 lakh to ₹1 crore, ensuring brands reach premium, engaged audiences. Early adopters like Dabur report 30–40% higher brand KPI growth compared to standard inventory ads.
However, in-story integrations remain tricky due to genre constraints, production uncertainties, and fragmented viewer behaviour — unlike legacy TV, where repeated exposure built strong recall. As a result, brands often settle for poster-level visibility rather than placement within the narrative.
Despite challenges, platforms see sponsorships as a crucial revenue lever amid rising content costs and slowing user growth. With ad-supported models gaining prominence, OTTs are expected to increasingly design content and IPs with brand partnerships at the core.