Indian Streaming Interest Soars as New Commissions Drop

Viewer interest in Indian television series on IMDb increased approximately 17 times over the last decade. This surge in audience attention occurred while the total number of new shows and seasons commissioned in India declined for the second year in a row.

A new report titled “10 Years of Streaming in India. An IMDb Report 2026” analyzes this shift. The study uses page view data from more than 250 million monthly visitors to the platform. It ranks the top ten Indian series for each year between 2016 and 2026. These 110 ranking slots were filled by 64 distinct shows.

The crime drama “Mirzapur” dominated the list, appearing in the top ten every year since its launch. “Scam 1992” was the only other title to chart five times, achieving that feat from a single season. Crime and thriller genres occupied 48 of the 110 available positions. In recent years, horror, romance, comedy, and drama genres have also gained ground.

Platform data reveals specific strengths for different services. Prime Video and Amazon MX Player combined for 34 positions across 17 series, the highest total count. Netflix held 21 positions spread across 18 series, giving it the widest variety of distinct titles among the platforms examined. YouTube served as a launchpad for 13 of the charting series, with 11 of those later moving to subscription services.

The production company The Viral Fever, known as TVF, led in creative output. It was responsible for nine of the charting series and 17 of the top ten slots. This range of success began with “TVF Pitchers” in 2016 and extends to “Sapne vs Everyone” in 2026. The report identified Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Vikrant Massey, Jitendra Kumar, Kapil Sharma, and Sunil Grover as key figures in recurring franchises.

Kay Kay Menon, Naveen Kasturia, and Mona Singh were named the most versatile performers, each appearing in at least five different series. The study also noted that actors like Shahid Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi, Samantha, Barun Sobti, and Karan Tacker are bringing established screen personas into streaming formats. This talent strategy aligns with a broader industry trend of consolidating creative risks.

Production volume data indicates a more cautious market approach. New series and season commissions peaked at 202 in 2023. The number dropped to 169 in 2024 and further to 145 in 2025. Hindi-language shows accounted for 66% of Indian streaming originals in 2025. Yaminie Patodia, head of IMDb India, stated that the report aims to provide professionals with data to shape the next decade of the industry.