PubMatic is expanding advertiser access to India’s free ad-supported streaming television market through a partnership with RunnTV, bringing more than 90 curated streaming channels onto its advertising platform. The agreement gives advertisers another route to buy connected TV (CTV) inventory programmatically, using their existing demand-side platforms (DSPs) or transacting directly through PubMatic’s unified platform.
RunnTV reports that its inventory reaches more than 12 million monthly active devices across Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets in India. The platform offers entertainment, movies, music, news, devotional, lifestyle and regional programming. The companies say the integration is intended to simplify access to this inventory while giving advertisers greater control over campaign activation and spending.
The partnership addresses a practical challenge in India’s fragmented streaming market: finding and buying relevant audiences across services, content categories and regional markets without managing every supply relationship separately.
Programmatic access to FAST inventory
FAST services combine streaming television channels with advertising-funded distribution, allowing viewers to watch content without a conventional paid subscription. For advertisers, these services provide another source of streaming video inventory alongside subscription streaming platforms that offer advertising and other digital video environments.
By making RunnTV channels available through PubMatic, the companies are connecting the publisher’s supply with an established programmatic buying infrastructure. Advertisers can use their existing DSP relationships or transact directly through PubMatic, potentially reducing the operational work involved in accessing the inventory.
The commercial value will depend on more than channel count. Buyers need to understand audience composition, available ad formats, content suitability, pricing, frequency and measurement capabilities before determining how much budget to allocate. The announcement does not provide channel-level audience breakdowns, CPM benchmarks or independently verified campaign results.
AI and inventory decision-making
PubMatic is also positioning the partnership within its broader unified advertising platform. The company says its AgenticOS comprises more than 20 specialized AI agents and workflows supporting activities such as audience discovery, inventory curation, campaign activation, measurement and fee transparency.
Its Activate capability enables buyers to transact directly on premium inventory through PubMatic, while Decision Fabric brings selected partner and company models and data closer to available inventory for decision-making.
These tools are intended to connect planning and activation more closely. In principle, bringing decisioning closer to inventory could help buyers evaluate opportunities within programmatic workflows rather than relying entirely on separate planning and execution systems.
However, the announcement does not establish that the RunnTV integration uses every AgenticOS workflow, nor does it quantify improvements in campaign efficiency, advertising costs or outcomes. Those questions will require evidence from actual buying activity.
Market Landscape
India’s CTV opportunity is expanding beyond metropolitan audiences. Ormax Media’s OTT Audience Report: 2026 estimates India’s CTV audience at 206.9 million, up from 129.2 million in 2025—a 60% year-over-year increase. The report is based on research involving 15,000 respondents across urban and rural India. Ormax Media Pvt. Ltd.
A separate study by WPP Media and The Trade Desk, with research conducted by Ormax Media, estimated that India’s CTV audience reached approximately 207 million viewers across 62–65 million households. It also identified smaller cities and rural markets as potential drivers of further growth. Ormax Media Pvt. Ltd.+1
This expansion creates an opportunity for FAST platforms to offer advertisers streaming inventory beyond subscription-led services. However, audience growth alone does not guarantee advertising effectiveness. Buyers also need reliable inventory information, suitable targeting options, transparent transaction costs and consistent measurement.
PubMatic’s partnership with RunnTV addresses the supply-access component of that challenge. The next question is whether the inventory can attract sustained advertiser spending and deliver measurable results across different audience segments and regions.
Strategic Outlook
- For advertisers and agencies: Access to more than 90 FAST channels through an existing programmatic buying route could simplify campaign planning and inventory discovery. Buyers should evaluate audience overlap, regional reach, frequency management and campaign-level performance.
- For RunnTV: Integration with PubMatic provides another route to advertiser demand and could help the platform package its content inventory for more campaigns.
- For PubMatic: The deal expands its CTV supply in India and strengthens its role in connecting streaming publishers with programmatic buyers.
- For the Indian advertising market: Broader access to regional and non-metro streaming audiences could support more geographically tailored campaigns, provided audience and inventory data are sufficiently detailed.
- For AI-driven media buying: PubMatic’s AgenticOS and Decision Fabric may help connect discovery, activation and decision-making. The announcement does not establish how much these capabilities will improve results for RunnTV campaigns.
The commercial test is whether simpler access to FAST inventory translates into incremental demand, effective reach and transparent pricing. The partnership establishes a new buying route, but its long-term significance will depend on campaign adoption and independently measurable outcomes.
Top Insights
- More than 90 FAST channels added: PubMatic is expanding its CTV inventory through RunnTV.
- Reported reach exceeds 12 million devices: RunnTV says its audience spans Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 Indian markets.
- Flexible buying routes: Advertisers can use existing DSPs or activate campaigns through PubMatic’s platform.
- CTV audience growth supports the opportunity: Ormax estimates India’s CTV audience reached 206.9 million in 2026.
- Performance remains to be demonstrated: Reach figures and platform capabilities do not independently establish campaign effectiveness.
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