NDTV appoints Akhil Bhalla as product head & Sanjeev Kumar Choudhary to lead revenue

NDTV has announced a push into the Connected TV (CTV) segment with the appointment of Akhil Bhalla as Product Head – Connected TV and Sanjeev Kumar Choudhary as head of connected TV Revenue.

Estimates suggest CTV penetration could exceed 60 million households, placing it closer to mass media than a niche digital format.

Advertising spend is also tracking this growth. India’s Connected TV ad market is projected to reach around USD 760 million in 2025 and approach USD 1 billion in 2026, while global CTV ad revenues are expected to touch USD 51 billion by 2029.

In this context, NDTV’s appointments indicate a structured approach to building a Connected TV ecosystem spanning product, distribution and monetisation.

As product head – Connected TV, Akhil Bhalla will oversee the redesign of NDTV’s Connected TV product and editorial experience, focusing on how news content is discovered and consumed on large screens. Prior to joining NDTV, Bhalla was associated with Jio Hotstar (formerly Disney+ Hotstar), where he worked on integrating national and regional news channels into Connected TV environments and developing engagement frameworks for live and breaking news.

‘Connected TV is redefining how audiences experience news. NDTV’s legacy of trust and editorial credibility offers a powerful foundation to build a Connected TV product that is both meaningful for audiences and commercially sustainable. This is not about adapting news to another screen, but about designing it for the future’, said Akhil Bhalla.

On the revenue side, Sanjeev Kumar Choudhary joins NDTV to lead Connected TV monetisation and distribution. He was previously with Republic Media Network and has worked across digital revenue and CTV partnerships involving platforms such as Yupp, Jio, Samsung TV Plus, LG, Planetcast and Google Showcase.

Sanjeev Kumar Choudhary said, ‘Connected TV in India is at a clear inflection point. Scale is already visible, consumption is deepening, and advertiser interest is accelerating rapidly. NDTV’s trust advantage and editorial stature give it a strong edge in this space. The opportunity now is to expand distribution and build revenue models that reflect both the premium nature and the sheer size of the Connected TV market.’

Rahul Kanwal, CEO and editor-in-chief, NDTV, said: ‘Connected TV represents a fundamental shift in how news is consumed and valued. It combines the authority of television with the precision of digital, all within a premium, high-trust environment. NDTV’s foray into Connected TV is a strategic investment in the future of news - one that aligns our editorial strengths with evolving audience behavior and new revenue possibilities.’

He added, ‘By strengthening leadership across product, editorial thinking, distribution, and revenue, we are building a Connected TV ecosystem designed not just for growth, but for long-term relevance and credibility.’