News broadcasters eye 10-40% premium on ad rates for Delhi elections

With a massive influx of viewership, news broadcasters anticipate a significant boost in revenues from advertising, with premium ad rates serving as the cherry on top

author-image
Lalit Kumar
New Update
Narendra Modi, Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi

Narendra Modi, Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi

Listen to this article
0.75x 1x 1.5x
00:00 / 00:00

New Delhi: The stage is set, the dates are out, and political leaders are ready for the showdown slated for February 5, 2025, in the National Capital Region. Disguised as a political battleground, the Delhi Assembly Elections present an opportunity for brands and political parties to engage with millions of viewers.

As a result, news broadcasters and publishers are expecting a premium on ad rates ranging from 10% to as much as 40%. Additionally, the news players are tailoring their packages to offer an integrated and expansive reach to brands. 

Surge in ad rates

Karan Abhishek Singh
Karan Abhishek Singh

“With AAP, BJP, and Congress locked in an intense race, the demand for ad space is already heating up. We’re expecting a significant boost in ad revenue than the last elections, as both political parties and brands invest heavily to capture voter attention,” said Karan Abhishek Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Zee Media. 

Mandeep Singh, Revenue Head, NDTV, said, “It is a high-stake event which will drive greater interest and engagement from both political entities and the public, ensuring elevated visibility. As a result, we surely foresee increased ad revenues.” 

As per Singh, the ad rates surge to “many times the usual levels” during key events such as polling day, exit polls, and counting day. 

Chiming in on the conversation, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor, Zee News, told BestMediaInfo.com, “Election seasons naturally command a premium, and this year may also see around 10% increase in ad rates compared to regular periods.” 

Sinha attributed the heightened demands to the “unique engagement” elections tend to generate.

He said, “The heightened demand stems from the unique engagement elections generate, with audiences tuning in more frequently and for longer durations. Advertisers recognise this as a rare opportunity to capture attention at scale, driving robust competition for prime ad slots across our platforms.”

Highlighting the importance of these elections, Amit Sethi, Revenue Head, News24, said, “During the 2020 Delhi elections, political parties collectively spent between Rs 150 crore and Rs 170 crore on advertising. This trend reflects the importance of elections as a high-engagement period for all types of advertisers, including corporate brands, retail businesses, and government entities.” 

According to Sethi, the channel expects a rise of 15-20% in ad rates during the Delhi assembly elections. “This increase is driven by the intensified competition among advertisers to capture the attention of a politically engaged audience,” he added. 

Sudipto Chowdhuri, Country Head - Ad sales, India TV, sees election premium on selected days. 

He said, “Election premium is restricted to polling, counting and govt. formation days and a slight premium on election programmes. The premium for polling and Govt formation is 30-40% on the base rates, counting day premium is 8 to 10 times the base rates.”

Mitul Sangani
Mitul Sangani

Mitul Sangani, CEO - Indian language news cluster, Network18, said, “Viewer interest in the upcoming Delhi elections is surging. We're seeing increased viewership across TV and digital. This will translate to higher ad rates, as advertisers always capitalise on significant elections. Delhi elections are notoriously high-stakes, and we anticipate an exciting campaign season.” 

Adding to this, Aditya Singh Chauhan, National Head - digital revenue, Network18, said, “Regarding Network18's digital vertical, we anticipate increased ad rates and revenues during the election. While I can't disclose specific rates or inventory, the typical pattern shows a surge in advertiser demand in the week leading up to the election. This usually translates to a 30-40% premium on our ad rates."

New Media: Boon or Bane? 

Political parties are putting it all in, be it deepfake videos, bashing memes, and AI-generated content, to allure voters. These new avenues are gaining traction with each passing moment in the political space in the country. 

While players in the news ecosystem are cognizant of the advent of new media and its exponential rise, even in electoral politics, they are far away from riding reservations of lagging behind. Legacy news channels have welcomed these new avenues as a mode of diversification, rather than destruction. 

Sharing his two cents on the subject, Sinha of Zee Media said, “Podcasts, memes, and social media campaigns may attract niche audiences, but the mass reach, trust, and influence of traditional and hybrid media remain unmatched.” 

Rather than “cannibalising traditional platforms,” Sinha said, the new media as a tool for political campaigns has diversified the advertising landscape.

Sethi from News24 echoed Sinha’s thoughts and stated, “In a landscape where trust is currency, news platforms are the bridge between credibility and consumer connection. While new media offer targeted outreach and measurable ROI, traditional media, especially television, retains its credibility and mass reach.” 

Mandeep Singh NDTV
Mandeep Singh

NDTV’s Singh thinks parallel to his peers. According to him, platforms like podcasts, memes, and social media are complementary, in the sense that they “primarily serve the reach and engagement initiated by traditional media.” Singh called television the “foundation of successful campaigns” while addressing the agility of digital news and new media as an aid. 

Amit Sinha, Chief Strategy Officer, India TV, said, “For political campaigns, traditional media has suffered on account of digital platforms providing localised and geo-targeted solutions during state elections. In Lok Sabha, however, traditional media gets a fair share due to pan-India coverage.”

Buy 1 Get 1?

The television news industry has welcomed digital with open arms. But how is this acceptance reflected in their tailored packages? Answering this question, Sethi shared their strategy of decoupling TV and digital advertisements to offer “premium, tailored solutions.”

Expanding on the thought, he added, “This approach allows brands to select platforms that best align with their campaign objectives. Notably, digital “news” platforms have gained significant traction among advertisers seeking to build trust and credibility, especially in an era where misinformation is prevalent.” 

The revenue honcho from NDTV noted, “Digital inventory, particularly during elections, is in high demand, underscoring its critical role in the overall advertising mix.” Singh added that NDTV is offering brands “tailored packages” that will allow them to leverage the reach of the broadcaster across traditional and digital platforms. 

India TV’s Chowdhuri chimed in on the conversation saying, “Digital media isn't typically bundled as a value-add, as its budget is often separate with distinct objectives and strategies. However, some clients, particularly MSMEs, appreciate bundled offerings. When Digital is included in a bundle, we observe an increase in both engagement rates (ER) and overall spending."

The packages that Zee Media is offering include ad spots on TV alongside digital extensions such as live-streamed content, social media amplification, and interactive audience engagement features, Sinha from Zee News told BestMediaInfo.com.

Zooming in on the upshots of the flexibility of choosing from stand-alone digital options or comprehensive multi-platform packages, Zee Media’s Sinha said, “ For advertisers, this creates a seamless narrative across platforms, ensuring they reach the right audience at the right time.”

The real fuel

An intricately constructed ecosystem by the players of the traditional news industry is sturdy enough to carry the weight of the upcoming Delhi Elections. Political parties and brands flock with equal vigour to have the momentous spotlight during the elections. 

Offering his thoughts on the matter, Singh said, “With the heightened relevance of news during elections, both segments are expected to invest significantly, striking a balance that underscores the pivotal role of elections in shaping ad revenue dynamics.” 

Adding to the conversation, Sethi stated, “Key sectors such as Auto, FMCG, Pharma, BFSI and Construction & Building Material (Paints, Cements, Wires , Adhesives & Tiles etc..) actively utilize election periods to align their messaging with the heightened consumer focus.

Speaking parallelly, Sinha said, “Political parties contribute significantly due to their need for wide-scale voter outreach and credibility, utilising traditional platforms extensively. Meanwhile, brands, especially in sectors like BFSI, e-commerce, and tech, are leveraging the heightened viewer engagement to launch campaigns that align with the national mood.” 

In Sethi’s words, the media ecosystem is no longer linear, rather it's a mosaic.” And for an ecosystem that evolves as vigorously as a kaleidoscope, the advertising aspect of these broadcasters ought to be as vibrant as the ecosystem itself. 

Small steps, giant leaps

Along with adopting new media, traditional news channels are also turning their heads towards new avenues of distribution. Betting hard on novel avenues - OTT, CTV, YouTube - traditional channels have their laces tightened well before elections. 

Throwing light on this development, Zee Media CEO began with “elections today are not just watched - they are experienced across screens.” 

“To keep pace with this evolving media landscape, we have gone all-in on a multi-platform strategy,” he added.

Ensuring seamless coverage of elections, Zee is minting mileage from OTTs, smart TVs, and YouTube in the form of live streaming, hyper-targeted ads, snackable content, and bolstered CTV integration. 

Sethi, too, observed an active expansion of News24’s presence on such platforms. “These channels enable us to reach audiences who have transitioned from traditional TV to digital mediums. The interactive nature of these platforms offers advertisers innovative opportunities beyond conventional ad slots, fostering greater engagement and direct response from viewers,” he added.

Commenting on the integration of CTV, Chauhan from Network18, said, “CTV, essentially, is television delivered over the internet, enabling real-time ad targeting. It's more than a service; it's a device. Given the affluent CTV audience, advertising on this platform carries a premium. We typically see a 20-30% premium on CTV ad rates.”

Brands and content

With digital osmosis prevalent across broadcasters, the content is bound to take shape in favour of advertisers. News channels are offering AI-driven insights, curated content, and immersive programming to ensure high ROI for advertisers. 

As Karan Abhishek Singh said, “This is not about running ads - it is about owning the conversation,” Zee Media has a bouquet of services for brands ranging from “customised ad packages offering a 360-degree approach to branded election segments integrating brands in high-engagement specials to data-driven ad placements ensuring strong and accurate connection with audience to second-screen engagement fostering influencer collaborations and interactive formats.” 

Sethi shared how they have brand integrations in the news ecosystem, resulting in “impactful campaigns.” News24 has collaborated on integration campaigns with brands such as Kia Motors, Ultratech, Dainik Jagran, Campus Shoes, among others.

NDTV’s approach of “providing something for everyone,” resulted in the broadcaster building content IPs such as ‘The Newsmakers,’ ‘Muqabala,’ and ‘Baba Ka Dhaba.’ 

NDTV is spreading its wings, not only on the roads but also on the web. “These thoughtfully curated offerings are tailored to engage the diverse interests of our audience while delivering precise, targeted impact for advertisers,” said Singh.

India TV Amit Sinha Karan Abhishek Singh NDTV ad rates premium Zee Media News24 Sudipto Chowdhuri News Broadcasters Sudipto Chowdhury Delhi elections
Advertisment