Television advertising volumes in India have declined by 11% in 2025 compared to 2024, according to the latest TAM AdEx Television Advertising Recap. The data has shown that while the year has started on a softer note, the second quarter has recorded a sequential growth of 6% over the first quarter, before momentum has weakened again towards the end of the year.
The Food and Beverages sector has emerged as the largest contributor to television advertising in 2025, accounting for 21% of total ad volumes, followed by Personal Care and Personal Hygiene with a 15% share. Together, the top 10 sectors have contributed nearly 87% of overall TV ad volumes, indicating a continued concentration of spends among core advertiser categories.
At a category level, Toilet Soaps have continued to lead television advertising, contributing 6% of total ad volumes in 2025. Toilet and floor cleaners have matched this share and have also recorded the highest increase in ad secondages, growing by 13% year-on-year. Retail Outlets–Jewellers have shown a notable rise, moving up to the ninth position in 2025 from sixteenth in 2024, reflecting increased retail-led communication on television.
Among advertisers, Hindustan Unilever has retained its position as the largest TV advertiser with a 14% share of total ad volumes in 2025. FMCG players have continued to dominate the rankings, with the top 10 advertisers together accounting for 44% of all television ad volumes. Reckitt Benckiser (India) has demonstrated strong brand presence, with seven of its brands featuring among the top 10 advertised brands during the year.
General Entertainment Channels (GEC) and News channels have remained the primary destinations for advertisers, jointly accounting for more than half of total ad volumes. Overall, the top five channel genres have contributed over 92% of television advertising volumes in both 2024 and 2025, underlining stable viewing and investment patterns across genres.
Co-branded advertising associated with movies has continued to scale in 2025, with brands clocking over 570 hours of TV advertising through movie partnerships. Brands linked with the film Pushpa 2 have accounted for 23% of the total co-branded ad volumes, while 120 Bahadur has emerged as the most partnered film, associating with seven brands during the year.
Overall, the TAM AdEx findings have indicated that while television advertising has faced volume pressure in 2025, FMCG-led categories, selective retail growth, and movie-linked brand integrations have continued to sustain advertiser interest in the medium.
