The debate around whether television is dead continues to divide opinions across the media and entertainment industry. However, according to Pankaj Krishna, Founder and CEO of Chrome DM, both sides of the argument may be correct — depending on how one defines TV.
In a recent video, Krishna explained that the confusion comes from the industry’s use of jargon. While some experts refer to television as the physical device, others use the term TV to describe cable and satellite transmission.
According to Krishna, the television device is not declining. In fact, the device continues to remain relevant as a screen for content consumption. What is changing rapidly is the transmission route through which viewers access content.
“TV as a device is not dead. The mode of transmission is changing from cable and satellite to digital,” Krishna said.
He explained that linear broadcast continues to remain relevant, but the distribution path is shifting. Linear content refers to fixed or pre-decided programming that is consumed at a specific time, without the ability to rewind or fast-forward. This form of content, according to Krishna, is constant or growing, but is increasingly being accessed through digital modes rather than traditional cable or satellite connections.
Sharing a broader market perspective, Krishna stated that India has an estimated population of 1,445 million, translating into approximately 344 million households, based on an average household size of 4.206 individuals. Of these, around 222 million homes have access to a television device, while nearly 122 million homes remain TV-dark.
He further broke down the television universe by transmission type. According to him, cable and satellite homes account for approximately 52.5 million, paid DTH contributes around 53 million homes, while Free Dish stands at approximately 64 million homes. Together, these account for nearly 169.6 million homes with some form of cable or satellite-led access.
Krishna noted that the gap between total TV homes and cable/satellite homes is increasingly being addressed through digital access and Connected TV. He estimated the Connected TV base at around 101 million homes, with a significant overlap between homes that have both traditional cable/satellite access and OTT or internet-enabled viewing.
This overlap, he said, indicates that the transition is not a simple replacement story. Many households continue to use both traditional and digital routes. However, the overall direction is clear: cable and satellite transmission is seeing pressure, while digital access and Connected TV adoption are growing.
According to Krishna, the question “Is TV dead?” needs to be reframed. The television screen remains important, but the way content reaches that screen is undergoing a structural shift.
“The instrument is not dead. The mode of transmission is changing rapidly from cable and satellite to digital,” Krishna added.
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The video highlights a larger shift in India’s media consumption landscape, where Connected TV, smart TVs, OTT apps, and digital delivery are becoming central to how audiences access both linear and on-demand content. For broadcasters, platforms, advertisers, and agencies, this shift has implications for distribution, measurement, advertising, content planning, and audience targeting.
As digital video consumption continues to expand, the future of TV may not be about the decline of the screen, but about the evolution of the delivery ecosystem around it.
