TV ad volumes drop over 70% during ICC Test Championship 2025 final: TAM report

New Delhi: Commercial advertising on television during the ICC Test Championship final in 2025 witnessed a steep decline of over 70% in the participation of categories, advertisers, and brands compared to the corresponding match in 2023.

According to a report published by TAM, the sharpest fall was seen at the brand level, with only 14 brands advertising during the 2025 final, a drastic drop from 70 brands in the 2023 edition. The average ad volume per channel also saw a 73% decline this year as compared to the 2023 final.

The 2023 ICC Test Championship final featured India and Australia, whereas the 2025 edition was played between Australia and South Africa, possibly influencing advertiser interest.

Advertising categories saw a notable shift as well. In 2023, perfumes and deodorants dominated the ad space, whereas in 2025, the top spots were occupied by e-retail, media and entertainment, and social media channels, with these segments collectively commanding a 23% share. These were followed by energy drinks (13%), e-commerce financial services (13%), and laptops/notebooks (12%).

The profile of top advertisers also changed significantly. Maruti Suzuki was the leading advertiser in 2023. In 2025, JioHotstar emerged on top with a 21% share, followed by GlaxoSmithKline and Billion Brains Garage Ventures, each with a 13% share. Interestingly, two of the top five categories in 2023 were from the Auto sector, while in 2025, they were from the Services sector.

In terms of ad volume contribution, the top five categories in the 2023 final - perfumes/deodorants, cars, cement, two-wheelers, and aerated soft drinks - accounted for 28% of the overall ad space. In contrast, the top five categories in 2025 - e-commerce media/entertainment/social media, energy drinks, e-commerce financial services, laptops/notebooks, and computer education - contributed a substantial 65%.

The TAM report, in its analysis, excluded promos, fillers, and short programs. The percentages given in the report reflected the ad volumes on television. It is to be noted that the count of channels done at the time of ICC TC’23 were 13, while during the ICC TC’25, the count stood at just 5.