en2Foresight

Prepared for en2 Foresight (demonstration scan) · 15 October 2026

How Urban India Spends Its Free Time

Urban Indians may be spending less on big libraries of shows and more on single moments: a match, a month, a weekend trip.

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Short films on the report's biggest shifts

Each film takes one shift and the evidence behind it. More films in this series are on the way.

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The podcast

A host and an analyst talk the report through in 4:42.

HostLet's start with a guess. Take all the streaming people did in India in 2025. What share of it was in regional languages?

0:00 / 4:42
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  3. Single moments
  8. What is pushing it
  15. The event becomes a trip
  21. Paying for the big match
  24. Cheap access, easy to stop
  29. An open question
  34. What any business could do

The report

What the evidence shows, section by section

How to read this report

The report moves from the big drivers, to the changes they cause, to where the money is, to what to do next. Six words carry it.

Guess first

Three numbers to guess before you see them. Drag to set your guess, lock it in, then see the real figure.

Guess 1

In 2025, what share of all streaming in India was in regional languages?

Drag to set your guess. Each dot is 1% of all streaming.

Guess 2

A 2026 survey asked Indian subscribers about cancelling. Out of 100, how many said the cancel option was hidden or missing?

Drag to set your guess. Each dot is one person in 100.

Guess 3

Airbnb asked young Indians (Gen Z) about their 2026 plans. Out of 100, how many plan to travel for a concert or music festival?

Drag to set your guess. Each dot is one person in 100.

What is driving it: nine forces

The big drivers behind the changes, strongest evidence first. Each is backed by signals found in the research.

  1. People

    Young people starting to earn

    Young earners spend on live events, sport clubs, games and short video, but some stretch tight budgets to do it.

    Signals behind itBookMyShow: Shillong, Guwahati and Nashik live-event footfalls roughly doubled or tripled in 2025.FICCI-EY: India's organised live events market grew 44% in 2025.Some young Lollapalooza India attendees pay by saving and living with parents.

    31 signals in total

  2. Rules

    Rules on online gaming

    India's ban on real-money games pushes gaming firms towards free-to-play and esports, and some users towards offshore apps.

    Signals behind itIndia bans real-money games under the PROG Act 2025; Rules in force 1 May 2026.FICCI-EY: video gaming fell 17% in 2025 after money-gaming bans; in-app purchases rose 15%.After the ban, firms pivot to free-to-play, creator watch rooms and esports.

    18 signals in total

  3. Technology

    Viewing moves from pay TV to streaming

    Networks now carry huge live audiences to phones and connected TVs, so viewing moves from pay TV to streaming.

    Signals behind itJioStar: Champions Trophy 2025 final peaked at a record 6.12 crore concurrent viewers.Nokia: 5G carries 47% of India's mobile data; monthly use per user passes 31 GB.India 2025: pay TV loses 11 million homes as ad spend shifts to digital.

    17 signals in total

  4. Money

    Streaming sold in bundles

    Most streaming users arrive through bundles, as telecom plans and add-on packs sell sport and films behind paywalls.

    Signals behind itThird Bridge: most Indian streaming users come through bundles.Jio sells live cricket as a Rs 195 data pack and Rs 949 bundled plan.FICCI-EY: paid video hit 216 million subscriptions in 2025, led by paywalled sport and films.

    16 signals in total

  5. People

    Hunger for going out together

    People want shared, in-person outings, from concerts in other cities to after-work pickleball, even on tight budgets.

    Signals behind itBookMyShow: fans travelling to other cities for concerts rose 18%.BookMyShow names Visakhapatnam, at +409%, its fastest-growing Tier-II city for live entertainment in 2025.Delhi NCR padel and pickleball clubs run pickup games that pair strangers after work.

    14 signals in total

  6. Money

    Money shifting to data and digital

    Ad money is moving to digital and audience data, and low revenue per user pushes firms to bundle content with services.

    Signals behind itFICCI-EY: digital became India's largest media and entertainment segment in 2025.PwC: India's new entertainment revenue needs scale to bundle and own audience data.Revenue per download in India is a fraction of mature markets.

    13 signals in total

  7. Rules

    Venue and permit bottlenecks for live events

    Live events are growing beyond the metros, but few large venues and a feared entertainment tax hold them back, while some states ease permits.

    Signals behind itFewer than 10 purpose-built concert venues for 10,000+ audiences in major cities.A live-event single-window portal is running; five states adopted a model executive order.Assam's concert tourism policy offers gap funding and a free state venue.

    13 signals in total

  8. People

    Frustration with paid subscriptions

    As sport and films move behind paywalls, viewers face hard-to-cancel plans and subscription fatigue, and some turn to piracy.

    Signals behind itOTT and leisure subscriptions use hidden cancellation, billing after cancelling and drip pricing.Subscription fatigue: some cancel Prime and use piracy, unofficial IPL streams and VPNs.Streaming audience growth slows below 10%, and ad tolerance is tested.

    11 signals in total

  9. Rules

    Ticket resale left unregulated

    Ticket resale sits in a legal grey zone, so bots and informal sellers shape who gets into sold-out shows.

    Signals behind itHigh-demand shows sell out in minutes while ticket resale sits in a legal grey zone.Fans buy and sell concert and cricket tickets informally on Reddit and Instagram.Bot-driven ticket buying meets Indian rules built on safe harbour for intermediaries.

    eight signals in total

What is changing: six shifts

Each one runs from the old habit to the new one. Open a shift to see why it matters and where it is already happening.

  1. FromBuying a ticket to a show in your own cityToBuying the whole trip: premium ticket, travel and stay

    In live events, the money is moving from the ticket to the trip around it. Events listed on BookMyShow grew 11% in 2025, down from 16% in 2024, but premium-tier footfall doubled. Growth comes from people spending more per outing, so there is room to sell ticket, travel, stay and group payment as one package.

    Already happeningAt Coldplay Ahmedabad, fans spent ₹585 on travel, stay and shopping for every ₹100 on tickets, BookMyShow says (2025)562,032 fans travelled to another city for concerts in 2025, BookMyShow saysOver half of Enrique Iglesias's Mumbai audience came from other states, the organiser says (2025)

  2. FromPaying for a streaming plan, or watching cricket freeToPaying only when a big live match is on

    In India, people pay for video when a big event is on. JioStar says one 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final set a one-day record for streaming (OTT) sign-ups. People who subscribe for a tournament can stop paying after it ends, so keeping them is the hard part.

    Already happeningIPL 2025 streaming on JioHotstar moved largely from free to paidAt its peak, 6.12 crore people watched the 2025 Champions Trophy final at the same moment, JioHotstar saysHotstar lost over 23 million subscribers in a year, even with free World Cup streaming on mobile (2023)

  3. FromBuying a yearly plan for each app separatelyToCheap, easy-to-cancel access bundled with the data recharge

    The mobile data recharge is becoming a main way people pay for leisure. That gives telecom operators bargaining power over content owners and makes small, easy-to-cancel prices the norm. The limit is how many ads people will put up with: Lumikai finds being tired of ads is the top reason Indian gamers stop playing.

    Already happeningJio's ₹195 cricket data pack with 90 days of Hotstar (2025)HBO Max as a ₹49 add-on inside JioHotstar (2026)Monthly billing on every JioHotstar plan (2026)

  4. FromPlaying for money, judged by gaming revenueToPlaying and watching for fun, judged by daily users and time spent

    India's 2025 law shut down playing for money, the largest paid part of digital gaming. Firms are rebuilding around free play, ads, brand deals and fan features. Fan formats tied to live sport, like free predictions with no money at stake and watching matches together, are still open.

    Already happeningDream11's free predictions and watch rooms led by creators (2025)In-app purchases up 15% in 2025 while video gaming fell 17% (FICCI-EY)Esports formally recognised (2025)

  5. FromWatching long episodes back to back, planned aheadToOne- to three-minute serials watched in short breaks

    Very short serials, called micro-dramas, are a new format, but how they will make money is not settled. Supply is free and paid for by ads, and apps in India earn about $0.03 per download, so charging per episode is unproven. Ads or bundling with data packs look more likely.

    Already happeningJioHotstar's free micro-dramas, paid for by ads (2026)Zupee Studio's one- to three-minute episodes (2025)YouTube videos showing viewers how to watch micro-drama apps free (2026)

  6. FromGoing out just to sit, or working out aloneToBooking group activities that mix exercise and meeting people

    Group activities booked through apps are becoming a leisure category of their own. The value is in booking, matching people and building community, as well as the court itself. Women's leisure time in India stayed flat from 2019 to 2024 while men's rose, so safety, timing and nearby venues decide who joins.

    Already happeningAbout 750 active padel courts in Tier 1 cities, ISST says (2026)Casual games that pair strangers after work in Delhi NCR (2026)Organised events in Mumbai where people meet to talk (2026)

Where the money is: five markets

Five markets a company could enter. Each shows what is known about its size, who is already in it, what is changing and what could go wrong. The year on each line is when the source reported it.

ScalingEarly

Streaming, short video and live sport

People watch Reels, shows and cricket on their phones and internet-connected TVs. More of them now pay for one tournament or one month at a time.

Size

  • 216 millionpaid video subscriptions across 143 million households. Top sport and films now sit behind paid plans (FICCI-EY)2025 · India
  • ₹16,300 croreearned from digital subscriptions, up 60% on the year (FICCI-EY)2025 · India
  • 601 millionpeople watch streaming apps (OTT), Ormax Media estimates. That number grew less than 10% in the year2025 · India
  • $2.2bnvalue of the streaming app (OTT) market. PwC projects it will reach $3.6bn by 20302025 · India
  • $300mmarket for micro-dramas, short series made for vertical phone screens. This is a Streaming Lens estimate. It is growing 40-50% a year2025 · India

Not measured. We do not yet know how many city viewers pay for one tournament and cancel after it. We also do not know what they pay across all their apps in a year.

Related numbers

  • 97% vs 83%of people surveyed watch short video daily, compared with TV. The Ipsos survey was commissioned by Meta2025 · India
  • 87.4%of urban people aged 15-29 used mass media on a given day. For rural people the same age, it was 73.4%2024 · Urban India
  • 56%of streaming is watched in regional languages, up from 27% in 20202025 · India
  • 6.12 crorepeople watched the Champions Trophy final at the same moment at its peak, JioHotstar says2025 · India
  • 60 million+people watched the first 13 matches of the Women's Cricket World Cup online. That is five times 2022, ICC and JioHotstar say2025 · India

Who is in it

  • JioHotstar charges monthly on all three plans. Prices run from ₹79 for one phone with ads to ₹299 with no ads, except during live sport and events2026 · India · Scaling
  • HBO Max is sold as an add-on inside JioHotstar, from ₹49 a month2026 · India · Early
  • YouTube calls itself India's new TV. It says more than 75 million viewers aged 18+ watch it on internet-connected TVs2026 · India · Scaling
  • Zupee Studio makes episodes one to three minutes long, built to become a viewing habit. Zupee started it after leaving real-money games (games played for cash)2025 · India · Early

What is changing

  • In 2025, most live IPL streaming moved behind JioHotstar's paywall.
  • JioHotstar launched free micro-dramas with ads, timed with IPL 2026. It also committed ₹4,000 crore to South Indian content, Streaming Radar reports.
  • In 2025, about 40 million Indian homes used an internet-connected TV each week. Pay TV lost 11 million households (FICCI-EY).

Risks

Ormax says India's streaming (OTT) audience grew less than 10% in 2025. Some users share and look for unofficial IPL streams, despite malware warnings (2026). PwC says India earned among the world's lowest revenue per streaming subscription in 2023. It forecasts only 1% growth a year to 2028.

“Me finally going to bed after watching Reels till 4AM knowing I have office at 8AM.”

A post on X, 2026

Gaming after the 2025 ban

India banned real-money games, where players bet cash, in 2025. Mobile games, esports and fan games are now rebuilding.

Size

  • $1.1bnmobile games market, not counting real-money games. MIXI Global Investments forecasts $2.4bn by 20292025 · India
  • $1.5bnearned by video games and esports. It is projected to reach $2.6bn by 20302025 · India
  • 600 millionpeople actively play games, a MIXI Global Investments report says2026 · India

Not measured. We do not know how much of the money people once bet on fantasy sports and rummy now goes to other leisure, or to apps abroad.

Related numbers

  • 17%drop in video games revenue after the ban on money games. In-app purchases rose 15% (FICCI-EY)2025 · India
  • Nearly 85%of gaming industry revenue came from real-money games, Treelife estimates2024 · India
  • 25%of India's 148 million gamers pay money in games, Lumikai says2025 · India
  • Over 30%of real-money gamers had already tried apps based abroad, a BCG-Sequoia report found2024 · India

Who is in it

  • Dream11 moved to watch rooms run by creators and free prediction games after the ban2025 · India · Early
  • Free Fire Max and Battlegrounds Mobile India together have close to half of India's players and 94% of shooting-game revenue, MIXI says2026 · India · Scaling
  • Esports is not covered by the ban. It has been officially recognised, and brands are showing interest2025 · India · Early

What is changing

  • The PROG Act bans real-money games, ads for them and bank payments to them. Its rules took effect on 1 May 2026.
  • Gaming firms are now judged on how many people play each day and how long they play (2026).
  • Draft rules say game companies must report any change in how a game earns money if it could make it an online money game (2025).

Risks

Too many ads is the top reason Indian gamers stop playing, Lumikai finds (2025). The gaming authority could treat fan products sold by subscription as money games. Unsettled GST demands still lock up money in Indian gaming (2026).

Live events and concerts

Concerts, festivals and shows. People often travel to another city for them, and premium tickets sell fastest.

Size

  • $1.55bnin organised live events, up 44%. The figure includes weddings, government and religious events (FICCI-EY)2025 · India
  • ₹12,000 crore+in live entertainment. It is forecast to grow 19% a year for three years, an EY-Parthenon and BookMyShow report says2024 · India
  • $85-100mfrom ticket sales for events between September and December2024 · India

Not measured. We do not know how many people in each city go to live events, or what they spend on them in a year.

Related numbers

  • 562,032fans travelled to another city for concerts, up from 477,393 in 2024, BookMyShow says2025 · India
  • ₹585spent on travel, stay and shopping for every ₹100 spent on tickets at Coldplay's shows, BookMyShow says2025 · Ahmedabad
  • 409%growth in live entertainment in Visakhapatnam, the fastest-growing Tier-II (second-rung) city on BookMyShow2025 · Visakhapatnam
  • 11%growth in events listed on BookMyShow, down from 16% in 20242025 · India
  • 70%of people at live events are under 35, an EY-Parthenon partner says2026 · India

Who is in it

  • BookMyShow says the number of people at premium experiences doubled. These include VIP pits, viewing decks and hospitality zones2025 · India · Scaling
  • Eva Live organised Enrique Iglesias's two sold-out Mumbai concerts. It says more than half the audience came from other states2025 · Mumbai · Scaling
  • Assam offers concert organisers money to fill funding gaps and a free state venue, under its concert tourism policy2026 · Assam · Early
  • The Live Event Development Cell runs one online portal for all event permits. Five states, including Maharashtra, have adopted its model order2026 · India · Early

What is changing

  • Premium live-event tickets, such as VIP and hospitality packages, grew over 100% in India in 2024-25.
  • BookMyShow says 2025 attendance rose 213% in Shillong, 188% in Guwahati and 94% in Nashik.
  • Fans resell concert and cricket tickets informally on Reddit and Instagram (2026). Ticket resale in India is not clearly legal or illegal (2025).

Risks

India has fewer than 10 venues for crowds above 10,000 (2026). Promoters fear local entertainment tax could return. Promoters say profits are thin and they own no data on their audiences (2026). Some fans say top prices for international shows are too high, so they skip them (2025-26).

“Glad I skipped the Enrique Iglesias concert people need to be real about it”

A Reddit user in Mumbai, 2025

Going out and social formats

People play padel (a court sport) and casual drop-in games, visit board-game cafés, watch matches together and join small meetups. Many plan these outings around a fixed budget.

Size

  • ₹1,200 croreis the estimated value of padel in India, counting equipment and court rentals, according to ISST, a sports-training school2026 · India

Not measured. No data yet on how much time and money city people spend going out each week, by age, gender or city.

Related numbers

  • About 750active padel courts in Tier 1 (the largest) cities, most of them in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru, ISST says2026 · India
  • 169 vs 141minutes a day spent by men vs women on culture, leisure, media and sports. Men's time rose 23 minutes since 2019; women's stayed the same2024 · India
  • 4,000+active members at RallyGully, a padel and pickleball group with seven locations, it says2026 · Delhi NCR

Who is in it

  • CoPlay runs about 30 locations around Delhi for padel, pickleball, football and badminton2026 · Delhi · Scaling
  • Claygrounds has 25 sports venues across Delhi NCR, mainly for football2026 · Delhi NCR · Scaling
  • Pick It Up runs evening pickleball on a rooftop in Kirti Nagar for people with day jobs, at ₹100 a group session2026 · Delhi · Early
  • PadelPark sold about 25 courts in 2024 and is building nine courts of its own2024 · India · Early

What is changing

  • Online creators plan outings around a fixed budget, such as lists of things to do for under ₹500 in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru (2026).
  • Some Delhi NCR clubs run casual games every day after work that match up strangers. One venue stays open until 3am (2026).
  • People in Solapur and Pondicherry are asking for cafés where they can watch the IPL final together on a big screen (2026).
  • People in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune post plans for small in-person meetups, such as conversation events and a café session with a food walk (2026).

Risks

From 2019 to 2024, women's leisure time in India stayed flat while men's rose. Women in Delhi and Mumbai ask for late-night places that are not bars or clubs (2026). A PE (private equity) investor says padel's price must fall to about ₹400 an hour so more people can play (2024).

“Safe & chill night out places in Delhi for girls? (No clubs/pub scene)”

A Reddit user in Delhi, 2026

Data, bundles and paying for access

How people in India pay for leisure in small amounts: the mobile recharge, app stores and ads.

Size

  • $345mspent by consumers on mobile apps in one quarter, up 35% from a year earlier, Sensor Tower estimatesQ2 2026 · India
  • $200m+earned from in-app purchases in non-gaming apps in one quarter, up 44% from a year earlier, Sensor Tower saysQ1 2026 · India

Not measured. No data yet on what a city household spends each month on its recharge, apps and tickets, or what it would pay to remove ads.

Related numbers

  • 31 GB+of mobile data used by the average user each month, Nokia's index says. 5G carries nearly 47% of all traffic2025 · India
  • 58%of mobile data traffic runs on 5G, Nokia's index says2025 · India's metro cities
  • $0.03earned per app download, against more than $0.20 in Southeast Asia and Latin America (Sensor Tower)2026 · India
  • ₹22,000 crorespent on ads on e-commerce sites and at the point of sale (where people pay), up 50% (FICCI-EY)2025 · India

Who is in it

  • Jio sold a ₹195 cricket data pack with 15GB of data and 90 days of Hotstar with ads, and a ₹949 plan that includes Hotstar2025 · India · Scaling

What is changing

  • Third Bridge estimates that most streaming users in India get their apps through bundles, where a phone plan includes the app (2026).
  • In the first half of 2026, non-gaming apps earned 68% of India's app revenue. Three years earlier, it was 58%.
  • In 2025, ads on e-commerce sites and at the point of sale in India grew 50%. Digital advertising overall grew 26% (FICCI-EY).

Risks

In LocalCircles surveys in India, 40% to 65% of people say they faced hard-to-find cancellation, billing after cancelling, or surprise fees at checkout (2026). On bundled plans, some users say channels are missing and devices log out (2026).

“One recharge, multiple OTT apps, is it worth it?”

A Reddit user, 2026

Still open: where the evidence pulls both ways

Three questions the research does not settle. Open one to see what pulls each way.

  1. Paying lessPaying more The evidence does not settle it: each person pays little, but more people pay small sums for key moments and upgrades.
    What points to paying less

    PwC ranks India's streaming (OTT) revenue per subscription among the world's lowest (2023). Apps in India earn about $0.03 per download. Ormax puts 2025 OTT audience growth under 10%. Lumikai says a quarter of gamers pay. Some users share or seek out unofficial IPL streams. Even going out is treated as a fixed budget.

    What points to paying more

    Paid video subscriptions in India reached 216 million in 2025, as premium sport and films became paid-only. Sensor Tower estimates India's app spending rose 35% year on year to $345 million in Q2 2026. Premium live-event tickets grew over 100% in 2024-25. Cinema revenue rose 14% in 2025, mostly because tickets cost more.

  2. Spending moreHolding back Often both at once, in the same person, who goes to fewer shows but takes bigger trips.
    What points to spending more

    BookMyShow says premium live-event footfall doubled in 2025. It says fans travelling to another city for concerts rose 18%. An Airbnb survey found 62% of Indian Gen Z plan to travel for concerts or music festivals in 2026.

    What points to holding back

    Some young Lollapalooza India attendees pay for it by saving, living with parents and cutting costs (2026). Some fans on Reddit say top prices for international shows are too high, so they skip them. A Mumbai fan bought a ₹25,000 ticket for a show in Bangkok and skipped other concerts to stay within budget.

  3. Fans stayingMoney leaving The 2025 ban ended playing for money, but the evidence does not yet show where that money went.
    What points to fans staying

    ICC and JioHotstar say the first 13 matches of the 2025 Women's World Cup reached five times as many digital viewers as 2022. In-app purchases in India rose 15% in 2025. Firms are rebuilding around free play, watch rooms led by creators, and esports.

    What points to money leaving

    India's video games revenue fell 17% in 2025 after the ban. By 2024, over 30% of real-money gamers had already tried offshore apps run from outside India, a BCG-Sequoia report found. A sports lawyer said fantasy apps might move to subscriptions, but revenues would likely fall.

What to watch for next

Here are four ways urban India could change over the next three years. More than one can happen at once. For each, we give a sign to watch for and what to do if you see it.

  1. Live sport sold as passes in the mobile recharge

    1. TodayJio sells live cricket as a data add-on, with Hotstar included with ads. JioHotstar charges monthly on every plan.
    2. Watch forBefore the 2027 season, Jio or another operator offers an IPL season pass on the recharge screen. The pass has a fixed end date.
    3. ThenOffer passes for a season or a single match, with a clear end date and an option to pay for fewer ads. Sell them where people already pay: the recharge, the app store, the ticket site.

  2. People buy the whole event weekend, not just a ticket

    1. TodayBookMyShow says premium live-event footfall doubled in 2025. In Nashik, Guwahati and Shillong, footfall rose 94% to 213%.
    2. Watch forBookMyShow or District sells a concert ticket with travel or a stay included, for a concert outside the metros.
    3. ThenSell the event weekend as one package. Also offer venues what they lack: connectivity, payments and crowd data.

  3. Free short videos, paid for by ads, fill the day

    1. TodayJioHotstar offers free micro-dramas (very short drama series), paid for by ads. YouTube calls itself India's new TV.
    2. Watch forA major streamer launches an ad-free pass that costs less than its cheapest current plan.
    3. ThenDesign for the gaps in the day: formats, products and ads that fit a one- to three-minute watch, and a pass that removes ads across several apps.

  4. Fan memberships replace fantasy games played for money

    1. TodayReal-money games were banned in 2025. Since then, Dream11 has moved to watch rooms led by creators and free prediction games.
    2. Watch forDream11 or Zupee launches a paid monthly membership with no cash prizes.
    3. ThenWork with former fantasy-game platforms on paid fan memberships, with age checks and payments that follow the rules.

Your questions, answered

  1. Which leisure services and ways of paying are growing?

    Companies in India are splitting access into smaller paid pieces. Cricket comes bundled with mobile data. Monthly plans are split by device and by ads. A global streamer is sold as an add-on. Paid video subscriptions grew in 2025. This happened as premium sport and films moved behind paywalls. At live events, premium ticket tiers grew in 2024-25. So did travel to other cities for concerts. New formats are also emerging. One is micro-dramas (very short drama series). Another is padel, played as a way to exercise with friends in Tier 1 (the biggest) cities. Creators also promote outings planned around a fixed budget, such as under ₹500.

  2. How do urban Indians spend their free time now?

    A 2025 Ipsos survey in India, commissioned by Meta, found 97% watched short video daily. For TV, it was 83%. In 2025, regional languages made up 56% of India's streaming. Most live IPL streaming moved behind a paywall. Real-money games (games played for cash) were nearly 85% of India's 2024 gaming revenue, by Treelife's estimate. They were banned in 2025. BookMyShow says premium live-event footfall doubled in 2025. At the same time, some fans skip shows because tickets cost too much.

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