HT Media has officially decided to shut down its OTT aggregation platform OTTplay after struggling to achieve sustainable unit economics in an increasingly competitive streaming market.

The development was confirmed by the company’s management during its FY26 earnings call, where HT Media said the decision was part of a broader strategy focused on profitability and long-term value creation. The company had earlier indicated that it was evaluating multiple options for the platform and would take a call if the business failed to achieve the desired financial outcomes.

Speaking during the earnings call, Group CFO Piyush Gupta said the company had spent the last several quarters trying different approaches to improve OTTplay’s performance, including changes in content strategy, customer acquisition and subscriber retention. However, despite these efforts, the business continued to face significant challenges.

Gupta noted that competition intensified as major telecom operators strengthened their presence in the OTT aggregation space. While OTTplay focused on Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets through a differentiated distribution strategy, the overall business proposition did not deliver the expected results, leading the company to discontinue operations.

The closure marks the end of HT Media’s attempt to build a subscription-based OTT aggregation platform that offered bundled access to multiple streaming services. OTTplay had positioned itself as a discovery and aggregation platform aimed at simplifying content access for consumers across languages and regions.

The company had already signalled the move in its annual commentary, stating that the discontinuation of OTTplay was part of a “deliberate and value-accretive reset” focused on profitable growth.

Management also revealed that the company explored strategic alternatives before deciding to wind up the business. Discussions were held with several potential partners and suitors regarding the platform’s future. However, no transaction materialised, prompting the company to proceed with a complete shutdown. According to Gupta, OTTplay was not a capital-intensive business and therefore carried little residual value.

HT Media stopped selling new OTTplay subscriptions after March 31, 2026. Existing subscribers who purchased plans before that date will continue to receive service for the duration of their subscriptions, which could extend up to six months. The company expects only a marginal financial impact from servicing these remaining users during FY27.

The shutdown is part of a wider clean-up exercise undertaken by HT Media. Alongside exiting OTTplay, the company has also surrendered several loss-making radio frequencies as part of efforts to streamline operations and improve profitability. Management indicated that most of the major restructuring-related losses have already been accounted for and does not expect significant additional closure-related losses going forward.

Despite exiting OTTplay, HT Media maintained that digital remains a strategic priority. The company said future investments will continue to be directed towards digital businesses and growth opportunities, while its core print operations remain the primary revenue driver.

The closure of OTTplay highlights the growing challenges facing standalone OTT aggregation platforms in India, where intense competition from telecom-led bundles, large streaming services and integrated digital ecosystems has made customer acquisition and retention increasingly difficult.