Mumbai: Advertising activity during the first 62 live matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 reflected a shifting media landscape, with Connected TV (CTV) emerging as a more diverse advertising platform even as Linear Television (LTV) witnessed a decline in commercial volumes, according to the latest TAM Sports Advertising Report.
The report compared advertising trends across seven linear television channels and four Connected TV language feeds during live match breaks, excluding pre-, mid- and post-match programming, broadcaster promotions and fillers.
One of the report’s key findings was a 14% decline in average advertising volume per channel per match on Linear TV compared with the FIFA World Cup 2022. TAM Sports attributed the slowdown partly to the larger time difference between India and the tournament host nation, the United States, which may have impacted advertiser participation.
While Linear TV continued to attract established advertisers, Connected TV demonstrated a broader advertising ecosystem. CTV featured more advertising categories, advertisers and brands than Linear TV, highlighting the growing appeal of premium digital sports viewing among marketers.
Advertising on Linear TV remained heavily concentrated, with the top five categories contributing 93% of total advertising volume. Liquor emerged as the largest category, accounting for 40% of ad volumes, followed by cars at 36%, retail jewellers at 7%, and toothpaste and perfumes/deodorants at 5% each.
In comparison, CTV presented a more balanced advertising mix. Its top five categories accounted for 57% of advertising volume, led by cars (25%), aerated soft drinks (12%), retail jewellers (11%), liquor (5%) and luggage (4%).
Advertiser concentration also differed sharply between the two platforms. The top five advertisers accounted for 87% of Linear TV advertising volumes compared with 55% on Connected TV. United Spirits and Mahindra & Mahindra were among the leading advertisers on Linear TV, while Mahindra & Mahindra topped the advertiser rankings on CTV, followed by United Spirits, Kalyan Jewellers India, Pernod Ricard India and Girnar Food & Beverages.
Brand-level analysis similarly indicated greater diversity on Connected TV. The top five brands contributed 69% of advertising volume on Linear TV but only 42% on CTV. Mahindra’s automobile portfolio maintained a strong presence across both platforms, while beverage and jewellery brands also featured prominently.
The report also highlighted CTV’s ability to attract exclusive advertisers and categories that were absent on Linear TV. Exclusive categories included aerated soft drinks, luggage, e-commerce education, vitamins and health supplements, and corporate brand advertising. Advertisers appearing only on Connected TV included Pernod Ricard India, Eduauraa Technologies, Naturell (India) and Adidas.
Overall, the findings indicate that while traditional television continues to deliver scale for major sporting events, Connected TV is rapidly evolving into a preferred platform for a wider range of advertisers seeking targeted, premium digital audiences. The report suggests that CTV’s expanding advertiser base and broader category mix position it as an increasingly important component of sports advertising strategies in India.
