IPL 18 sees 10.5% ad growth, 29% more brands, and shift to <10s ad formats

New Delhi: The Indian Premier League season 18 culminated with Royal Challengers Bangalore lifting the cup after a strenuous 18-year-long wait. While the matches left a lasting impact, advertisers did not leave any stones unturned to cash in on the high-impact matches. 

IPL 18 witnessed a 10.5% increase in commercial ad volumes compared to previous season, strongly affirming the commercial magnetism of the sports league, a report by  TAM Sports noted. 

The report considered 28 TV channels for IPL 18, as compared to the 25 channels factored in for IPL 17. Based on 74 matches in both IPL 18 and 17, the report highlighted a 30% jump in the number of advertisers (from 85+ to 110+) and a 29% increase in brands (155+ to 200+) between the two seasons. The average ad volume per channel per match registered a marginal 0.5% growth. 

Time running ads out

An interesting observation nestled in the report was the changing preference of the audiences. According to the data, the viewers of IPL 18 preferred ads that had a duration less than 10 seconds, while the takers for 11-20 second ads were less. 

In contrast, in the previous season, people preferred the latter rather than the former. The report also highlighted that the <10 second comprised 54% of all insertions, while the 11-20 second ads comprised only 39%. 20-40 second ads only had a 6% share in the lot. 

It emerged as a clear indication of a strategic pivot towards shorter, high-frequency ads aimed at sustaining visibility while managing costs.

FMCG, gaming retain category dominance, F&B wins sector

The top five sectors advertising in IPL 18 accounted for 80% of the total ad volume, the report said. Among those five, the top position was bagged by Food & Beverages (F&B), followed by Services and Auto. 

Coming to categories, three of the top five categories belonged to the F&B sector - Mouth Fresheners (13%), Biscuits (9%), and Ecom-Gaming (6%)

The top five categories, which also includes aerated soft drinks and corporate-financial institute, accounted for 40% of the total ad volume, as compared to 43% in IPL 17, the report noted. 

Interestingly, Vimal Elaichi and Dream11.com retained their positions as the top brands for both IPL 18 and IPL 17. At par with Dream 11.com, however, was Parle Platina Hide & Seek and Campa Cola at 4% share each. 

25 in, 25 out

IPL 18 saw a considerable churn of advertiser categories. According to the report, IPL 18 saw the addition of 25+ new categories, as compared to IPL 17. Parallely, 25+ categories dropped out this year, who were part of the frenzy previous year. 

The new entrants include Properties/Real Estate, Cellular Phone Services, Fashion/Retail, Branded Jewellery, and Furniture. Conversely, those who exited the roster include Range of Food Products, Chocolates, Cement, Toilet Cleaners, and Sports Goods/Accessories. 

Regional reach

During IPL 18, a total of 186 brands advertised across both Hindi+English and regional language sports channels, reflecting a strong pan-India media strategy among top advertisers. 

Among the leading brands that featured on both feeds were Vimal Elaichi, Parle Platina Hide & Seek, AMFI (Association of Mutual Funds in India), Campa Cola, and Rapido. These brands leveraged IPL’s widespread reach by maintaining visibility across linguistic markets. 

However, several advertisers adopted a more targeted approach, focusing exclusively on specific feeds. 

On the national Hindi and English channels, exclusive brands included Amul Butter, Amul Lassi, Amul Ice Cream, Lattafa Perfumes, and real estate firm Puravankara. Meanwhile, regional language channels carried exclusive ads from brands such as IPL Sunrisers Hyderabad, Walkmate, Lifestyle, Maliban Tea Time, and Maliban Energy Plus Biscuits.