IPL 2026 has recorded a 4% increase in average advertising volume per channel per match on Linear TV compared to the previous season, according to the latest Commercial Advertising Report by TAM Sports. The report has analysed advertising activity across 74 IPL matches on Linear TV and Connected TV (CTV).
The report has found that overall ad volumes during IPL 2026 have grown compared to previous seasons, with the average ad volume per channel per match increasing by 4% over IPL 2025. It has also noted that ad volume growth was recorded across most stages of the tournament, with the first playoff match witnessing nearly 40% growth compared to the corresponding match in IPL 2025.
Despite the increase in ad volumes, the number of participating categories, advertisers and brands has declined compared to IPL 2025. The report has indicated that IPL 2026 featured more than 60 categories, around 65 advertisers and over 125 brands, lower than the previous edition.
Services has emerged as the leading advertising sector on both Linear TV and CTV. On Linear TV, Services and Food & Beverages have each accounted for 28% of total ad volume, followed by Auto, BFSI and Durables. On CTV, Services has accounted for 19% of ad volume, ahead of Auto, Food & Beverages, BFSI and Telecom Products.
Among categories, Ecom-Other Services has topped advertising volumes on both Linear TV and CTV. On Linear TV, Mouth Fresheners, Two Wheelers, Energy Drinks and Paints have rounded out the top five categories, while Cars, Smartphones, E-commerce Shopping and Paints have featured among the leading categories on CTV.
Google has emerged as the leading advertiser across both platforms. On Linear TV, Google, Reliance Consumer Products, Havells India, Vishnu Packaging and K P Pan Foods have been the top advertisers by ad volume. On CTV, Google has been followed by Tata Motors, Havells India, Maruti Suzuki India and Reliance Consumer Products.
At the brand level, Google Search Engine has led ad volumes on both Linear TV and CTV. Other leading brands on Linear TV have included Vimal Elaichi Pan Masala, Campa Energy Drink, AMFI and Google Gemini. On CTV, Google Gemini, Maruti Suzuki E Vitara, Tata Sierra and RuPay Credit Card have featured among the top brands.
The report has also highlighted stronger advertiser diversity on CTV. More than 35 categories and over 60 advertisers have appeared exclusively on CTV, compared with more than 20 categories and over 30 advertisers that have been exclusive to Linear TV.
According to the analysis, IPL 2026 has introduced more than 15 new advertising categories on Linear TV, while over 25 categories that were present in IPL 2025 have not appeared this season. Chocolates, Wires & Cables and Auto Rental Services have been among the leading new categories.
The report has further noted that advertisements shorter than 10 seconds have remained the most preferred format during commercial breaks, accounting for 54% of ad insertions, followed by 11–20 second advertisements.
