Mumbai: The Indian Premier League’s 18th season (IPL 2025) has recorded a robust rise in television advertising, according to the latest TAM Sports Advertising Report covering the first 40 matches. The findings highlight a strong momentum in brand engagement during live match broadcasts, reinforcing the tournament’s status as a premier advertising platform.
The report notes a significant uptick in Free Commercial Time (FCT) compared to previous seasons. Indexed ad volume growth points to a healthy increase in brand visibility during live matches, excluding pre-match, mid-match, and post-match segments, ensuring a more accurate measurement of core engagement.
A notable highlight from IPL 18 is the expansion in channel reach. Matches were aired across 28 television channels, up from 21 channels during IPL 14. This broader distribution reflects heightened advertiser interest and an effort to capture a wider demographic across regions.
Focusing purely on commercial advertising — and deliberately excluding promos, fillers, and short programs — the report provides a clear lens into brand-led activities during the tournament.
Sector-wise, the report identifies e-commerce, fintech, beverages, and gaming as the major drivers of advertising volumes. This sectoral tilt is in sync with prevailing consumer behavior trends in India, particularly the growing dominance of mobile-first and digitally inclined audiences.
TAM Sports also observed a year-on-year pattern of rising brand investments in IPL broadcasts, especially from industries keen to tap into India’s expanding digital and consumer markets.
As IPL continues to evolve as a marquee advertising event, the strong performance during its 18th season reaffirms the tournament’s pivotal role in shaping brand strategies and reaching India’s increasingly connected consumers.
