Mumbai: The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 witnessed a significant rise in advertising intensity on a per-match basis despite an overall decline in commercial advertising volumes, according to the latest report by TAM Sports, a division of TAM Media Research. The study analysed commercial advertising across all live matches of the tournament, excluding pre-, mid- and post-match programming.
According to the report, ad volumes per match during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 increased by 39% compared to the 2023 edition, highlighting stronger advertiser engagement on a match-by-match basis. However, overall ad volumes declined by 26% compared to the 2024 tournament, primarily because the Indian women’s team did not qualify for the semi-finals, resulting in fewer high-viewership India fixtures.
The report further revealed that matches involving India continued to command significantly higher advertiser interest, generating 58% more advertising volumes than non-India matches during the tournament.
Advertiser participation also expanded during the tournament. The number of advertising categories increased from 24 in 2024 to 27 in 2026, while the number of advertisers rose from 22 to 31, representing growth of 13% and 41%, respectively. The number of brands remained largely stable at 39.
Among advertising categories, Personal Care/Health & Wellness Products and Biscuits jointly led with a 15% share each of total ad volumes. They were followed by E-commerce – Other Services (13%), Corporate Financial Institutions (12%), and Energy Drinks (7%). Together, the top five categories accounted for 63% of total advertising volumes, up from 48% during the previous edition.
On the advertiser front, Google emerged as the leading advertiser with a 16% share of advertising volumes, followed by Coca-Cola India (11%), Amway India Enterprises (11%), Jindal Steel & Power (9%), and Policybazaar Insurance Brokers (7%). The report also noted that there was no overlap between the top five advertisers of the 2024 and 2026 editions, indicating a complete shift in advertiser leadership. The top five advertisers together accounted for 55% of ad volumes in 2026.
Among brands, Google Search Engine topped the rankings with a 16% share, followed by Jindal Panther TMT Rebars (9%), Policybazaar.com (7%), HDFC Life (7%), and Thums Up (6%). Similar to advertisers, the top five brands from 2024 were entirely replaced in the 2026 rankings.
The report also highlighted advertising format preferences, with 11–20 second commercials accounting for 53% of all advertisements, making them the most preferred duration during the tournament. Advertisements lasting 21–40 seconds contributed 33%, while ads of 10 seconds or less accounted for 13%.
Overall, the findings underscore sustained advertiser confidence in women’s cricket, with India matches continuing to be the biggest driver of advertising demand despite the team’s early exit from the tournament.
