Celebrity-led ads hold 27% share of TV advertising in 2025

New Delhi: Celebrity-endorsed television advertising recorded a decline in 2025 compared with the previous two years, even as film stars continued to dominate brand endorsements on TV, according to a report by TAM AdEx.

The report shows that celebrity appearances accounted for 27% of all television advertising in 2025, while non-celebrity ads made up the remaining 73%. Among celebrity endorsements, film actors and actresses together contributed 73% of total ad volumes, followed by sports personalities at 20% and television actors at 8%.

Ad volumes for celebrity-endorsed commercials declined in 2025 when compared with 2023 and 2024. The report notes that while such advertisements grew by 3% in 2024 over 2023, the momentum did not continue into 2025. Advertising activity remained uneven through the year, with March recording the highest share of celebrity ad volumes and December the lowest.

On a quarterly basis, April–June emerged as the strongest period for celebrity-led advertising in both 2024 and 2025, driven largely by seasonal advertising spikes. However, the report highlights that 2025 saw stronger ad volumes in the first half of the year, while 2024 performed better in the latter half.

Sector-wise, food and beverages led celebrity-endorsed advertising on television with a 24% share, followed by personal care and personal hygiene at 16% and household products at 10%. Nearly half of all celebrity-endorsed ads were concentrated in the top three sectors, while the top seven sectors together accounted for 79% of total volumes.

Gender trends varied across sectors. The food and beverages category showed a higher presence of male celebrities, accounting for 64% of endorsements, whereas personal care and personal hygiene advertisements were dominated by female celebrities at 61%. The overall average ratio across the top ten sectors stood at 60:40 in favour of male celebrities.

In terms of categories, toilet and floor cleaners emerged as the most advertised category featuring celebrities, contributing 9% of total celebrity ad volumes, followed by toilet soaps, washing powders and aerated soft drinks, each at 5%. Collectively, the top ten categories contributed 40% of all celebrity-endorsed television advertising during the year.

Shah Rukh Khan was the most visible celebrity on television in 2025, accounting for 10% of total celebrity ad volumes and averaging close to 30 hours of daily on-screen presence. He was followed by M.S. Dhoni, who ranked second with a 7% share. The list of the top ten most visible celebrities featured nine male endorsers and one female celebrity, Ananya Panday.

M.S. Dhoni also emerged as the celebrity associated with the highest number of brands, endorsing 59 brands in 2025, up from 52 in 2024. Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan were among the other celebrities who increased their brand associations year-on-year.

Celebrity couples continued to feature prominently in television advertising. The report notes that half of all couple-led endorsements were driven by four pairs, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, and Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, together accounting for a significant share of couple-based endorsements during 2025.

The analysis is based on ad duration across television commercial breaks during 2025 and excludes promotional and social advertising, the report added.