In the competitive world of Indian video streaming, every click is counted, but not every click translates to genuine viewing. As platforms pour billions into original and acquired content, a fundamental question remains unanswered: when can a viewer be considered to have truly 'watched' a show or film? The lack of a standard industry metric for 'completion' is creating challenges for content strategy and future investments.
The Elusive Definition of 'Watched'
The benchmarks for what constitutes a completed view vary wildly across platforms. Some industry players consider covering 60-70% of a show as having watched it, while others argue that even viewing a single episode of a long-format series is sufficient to count. For recommendation algorithms, the threshold can be as low as 20-30%, according to Ujjwal Mahajan, co-founder of Chaupal, a platform specializing in Punjabi, Haryanvi, and Bhojpuri content.
"There is no single fixed metric, because the definition of 'watched' depends entirely on the purpose for which the data is being used," Mahajan explains. He notes that for understanding genuine user enjoyment, platforms look at higher completion numbers, typically 60-70% and above. However, to simply avoid re-recommending a title a user has sampled, even five minutes of viewing might be enough for the system to temporarily hide it.
Beyond Simple Views: The Nuanced Metrics
Facing plateauing subscriptions and a tough digital ad market, platforms are digging deeper into engagement data. Rajat Agrawal, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Ultra Media & Entertainment Group, states that platforms now use a combination of metrics for accurate performance assessment. These include:
- Percentage of content viewed (often 70-90% completion)
- Total time spent on specific content (typically 20-30 minutes)
- Raw view count
Agrawal adds that the shift is towards more nuanced tracking, such as monitoring user interactions like pausing, rewinding, or completing key scenes and story arcs. This provides a clearer picture of real engagement, helping refine both recommendations and content commissioning strategies.
Chandrashekar Mantha, partner and media & entertainment sector leader at Deloitte India, emphasizes that the Video Completion Rate (VCR) has become a critical metric globally and in India for both platforms and advertisers. However, each platform reports VCR using its own internal framework and thresholds, creating a landscape without a universal benchmark.
The Completion Rate Reality and Its Business Impact
Industry experts reveal that actual completion rates in India are likely lower than global averages, though platforms rarely share this data publicly. Charu Malhotra, co-founder and managing director at Primus Partners, provides insight: "Across the industry, completion rates vary widely. A strong, well-loved series may see 40-60% of viewers finishing the season. Many titles sit much lower; sometimes in the 10-25% range."
This low completion poses a direct business challenge. Completion rates directly influence recommendation algorithms, decisions to renew shows for new seasons, and the overall return on investment for expensive, long-format content. If audiences aren't finishing shows, justifying higher budgets for similar projects becomes difficult, Malhotra notes.
The viewing device also plays a crucial role. Completion rates are generally higher for long-form content on connected televisions due to a more focused, 'lean-back' experience. In contrast, mobile-first, snackable viewing habits and intrusive ad breaks on ad-supported tiers often disrupt the flow, leading to lower completion. Short-form content naturally performs better on mobile, despite the device's inherent distractions.
Platforms are actively trying to boost completion through better personalization, tighter episode runtimes, and encouraging a shift to TV screens. However, every change must carefully balance user experience, advertising revenue, and content costs, making progress gradual.
The consensus among experts is clear: the headline 'view' count is a vanity metric. The real story for India's OTT future lies in completion rates, engaged minutes, and the device mix. As the market matures, identifying which genres—like recent successes Panchayat and The Bads of Bollywood that reportedly saw high completion—consistently hold audience attention will be key to sustainable growth.
