Netflix Shifts Strategy in India With Focus on Reality TV

Netflix is pivoting its content strategy in India, moving away from a reliance on expensive, urban-focused scripted originals toward reality television and established franchises. The streaming company aims to broaden its demographic reach and increase market penetration in the country.

Key Takeaways

• Shift in content: Netflix is increasingly acquiring reality formats and non-fiction programming, including shows like Lock Upp and The Great Indian Kapil Show.
• Financial performance: The company reported an 18% year-on-year revenue growth in India for the third quarter of 2026, alongside a 24% increase in viewing hours.
• Subscriber growth: Netflix recorded its highest-ever quarter of paid net additions in India during the July-September 2026 period.
• Broadening audience: The platform is actively targeting viewers beyond Tier I cities by incorporating regional content and unscripted formats.
• Strategic acquisitions: Reports indicate Netflix has secured rights to MTV Roadies in a deal valued at approximately ₹18 crore with JioStar.

Expanding Beyond Urban Markets

The company’s recent performance marks a turnaround from 2021, when then-CEO Reed Hastings characterized the Indian market as “frustrating” and noted difficulties in establishing consistent growth. The current strategy emphasizes content that appeals to audiences in smaller cities and towns, a segment the company previously struggled to capture with premium, urban-centric programming.

Industry analysts suggest that deepening market penetration requires formats that resonate outside major metropolitan centers. Reality television has emerged as a primary tool for this expansion. Lock Upp, Netflix’s first daily reality series, achieved the highest viewing hours of any title on the platform in India during its first 91 days, according to company data.