Sports
India Pakistan clash sparks match day business boom
Match-day frenzy rivals knockout thrill as food delivery, ads and bars cash in big.
MUMBAI: Sunday’s India-Pakistan T20 World Cup showdown didn’t just deliver edge-of-the-seat cricket, it turned into a full-blown commercial carnival that had wallets flying as fast as sixes. After Pakistan dramatically reversed its boycott threat and took the field in Colombo, the fixture exploded into one of the biggest non-knockout demand drivers the tournament has seen. Co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the high-stakes rivalry once again proved it can supercharge economies far beyond the boundary ropes.
Food delivery giants Swiggy and Zomato rolled out flat discounts at select partner restaurants, framing them as official match-day treats. Quick-commerce players bulked up on snacks and beverages, bracing for more than a 50 per cent spike in impulse buys. Industry insiders said the surge felt closer to a World Cup semi-final than a routine league game.
Wow! Momo Foods, president of the National Restaurant Association of India and CEO Sagar Daryani described Indo-Pak evenings as “carnival evenings”. He projected delivery sales during peak match hours would jump 35–40 per cent over a normal Sunday, with average order values climbing more than 20 per cent thanks to combo deals and celebratory bundles. Dine-in trends mirrored the boom.
Hospitality venues cashed in too. Bars and clubs in major cities more than doubled cover charges for live screenings, while group bookings flooded in despite the short notice. Hyatt Centric Juhu reported outlets running near full capacity, with footfalls well above a typical Sunday longer stays and heftier food-and-beverage tabs included.
Advertising felt the heat most acutely. Once Pakistan confirmed it would play, demand for airtime surged. Ten-second slots on broadcaster JioStar reportedly hit Rs 40 lakh roughly 25 per cent higher than regular rates of Rs 20–25 lakh. “Fence-sitter advertisers jumped on board over the weekend,” a senior media executive said, with brands paying a premium to stand out in the marquee clash.
Sectors from beverages and FMCG to tech and e-commerce scrambled for inventory. Major sponsors Britannia, Amul, Hyundai, Emirates, Rapido and Mahindra & Mahindra led the charge. JioStar is on track to rake in over Rs 2,000 crore in ad revenue from the entire tournament.
Historically, India-Pakistan fixtures deliver nearly double the footfall of an ordinary Sunday for hospitality players, along with extended dwell times and stronger spends. This time was no exception.
In the end, while the players battled on the pitch, businesses across India were quietly scoring their own boundaries proving once again that few sporting rivalries can match the commercial pull of India versus Pakistan.
Sports
IPL 2026 shows widening gap between CTV and TV advertising trends
Ecom leads CTV with 39 per cent, 30 plus shared categories, distinct advertiser mix.
MUMBAI: If cricket is the same on every screen, advertising clearly isn’t. A new analysis by TAM Sports reveals a widening gap between Connected TV (CTV) and linear television advertising during IPL 2026, with brands and categories playing very different innings across platforms. On CTV, digital-first categories dominated. E-commerce media, entertainment and social media led with a commanding 39 per cent share, followed by e-commerce services at 11 per cent. Smartphones and cars each accounted for 6 per cent, while air conditioners contributed 4 per cent highlighting a strong tilt towards tech-led and high-consideration categories.
Linear TV, in contrast, leaned heavily into mass-market staples. Mouth fresheners topped the chart with 14 per cent, closely followed by e-commerce services at 13 per cent. Financial institutions held a 6 per cent share, while paints and e-commerce wallets each stood at 5 per cent, reflecting a more traditional advertising mix.
The divergence extends to advertisers as well. On CTV, Star India (JioHotstar) led with a dominant 39 per cent share, followed by Google at 17 per cent. Havells India, Renault India and Reliance Consumer Products rounded out the top five with smaller shares. Linear TV saw Google in the lead at 12 per cent, with Reliance Consumer Products at 10 per cent, followed by Vishnu Packaging and Havells India at 6 per cent each, and K P Pan Foods at 5 per cent.
Despite these differences, there is some overlap. The study identified 30 plus common categories and 25 plus common advertisers across both platforms, based on 22 matches analysed. Shared categories included e-commerce media, e-commerce services, mouth fresheners, paints and cars, while common advertisers featured Star India (JioHotstar), Google and Reliance Consumer Products.
Yet, exclusivity tells the sharper story. CTV saw over 20 exclusive categories and 30 plus unique advertisers, including smartphones, credit cards, fast food outlets and hotels, with brands such as Renault India, Tata Motors and Voltas featuring prominently. Linear TV, meanwhile, had 15 plus exclusive categories and 20 plus advertisers, including chocolates, jewellery, perfumes and mortgage loans, with names like Cadbury India, Skoda Auto and Amul in the mix.
The findings point to a structural shift in how advertisers are approaching big-ticket sporting events. While linear TV continues to deliver scale and familiarity, CTV is emerging as a playground for digital-native categories and more targeted brand storytelling.
In the IPL’s advertising game, it seems the format may be the same but the strategy is anything but uniform.
