MAM
Duff & Phelps Launches Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2018
MUMBAI: Duff &Phelps, theglobal advisor that protects, restores and maximizes value for clients,today announced findings from the fourth edition of its Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2018: ‘The Bold, the Beautiful and the Brilliant.’The report provides a ranking of India’s most powerful celebrity brands based on brand values derived from their endorsement contracts.
Key findings from the report include:
Virat Kohli retains the top position for the second consecutive year. His brand value rose by 18% to US$170.9 million in 2018.
Deepika Padukone rises to the second position, whereas Shah Rukh Khan falls to the fifth position.
Total value of the top 20 celebrity brands stands at US$877 million, with the top 10 contributing more than 75% of the total value.
Celebrity – Top 10 2018 2017
Brand Rank Brand Value Brand Rank
Virat Kohli 1 170.9 1
Deepika Padukone 2 102.5 3
Akshay Kumar 3 67.3 4
Ranveer Singh 4 63.0 5
Shah Rukh Khan 5 60.7 2
Salman Khan 6 55.8 6
Amitabh Bachchan 7 41.2 8
Alia Bhatt 8 36.5 9
Varun Dhawan 9 31.6 10
Hrithik Roshan 10 31.0 7
Commenting on the rise of the endorsement market in India, Varun Gupta, Managing Director and Asia Pacific Leader for Valuation Services, Duff & Phelps said, “The celebrity endorsement market in India has matured from vanilla endorsement deals to full-fledged partnerships through innovative routes such as equity deals and strategic partnerships. On the other hand, rising internet penetration, varied formats of content consumption and a burgeoning middleclass with increasing disposable incomes is boosting media spends for traditional and digital advertisements through celebrities. Millennial celebrities continue to be the first choice for brand endorsements as companies want to have a greater focus on the youth segment fuelled by demand in sectors such as e-commerce, retail, FMCG and smartphones, among others.”
Per data from ESP Properties, over the past decade celebrity-led endorsements increased in number from 650 in 2007 to 1,660 in 2017, representing a steady CAGR of 10%. Further, TV ad spends with celebrity endorsers rose from INR15.5 billion in 2007 to INR66.6 billion in 2017 at a CAGR of 16.1%. TV ads with celebrity endorsers represented close to 24% of the total TV ad spends in 2017, which represents a 5% uptick from 2007.
Aviral Jain, Managing Director, Duff & Phelps said,“While Bollywood celebrities dominate the rankings of the top 20 celebrities, sportspersons provide tough competition. Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, M. S. Dhoni and P.V. Sindhu collectively contributed almost US$241 million, which is over 27% of the cumulative brand value of the top 20 celebrities pegged at US$877 million.”
“Brands are also increasingly going regional in their endorsement strategy to cater to the heterogenous peculiarities of Indian states.They are leveraging the equity that local celebrities enjoy. Product brands are also looking for better returns on their investment through a step up on regional markets and have started coming up with region-specific commercials featuring regional celebrities like Mahesh Babu and Tamannaah,” Jainadded.
Further, the report focuses on the rising trend of power couples. By tapping into a power couple’s reach and impact, brands can target each partner’s unique following and voice. The coming together of a power couple creates a larger platform that brands want to leverage to target the youth. This year, power couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have endorsed around 40 brands together such as Head and Shoulders, Manyavar, Pepsi, Celkon, Boost, Audi, Fastrack, Goinee, Wrogn and Polaroid.
Celebrities are also increasingly being leveraged to create social media buzz. A celebrity’s hold on social media is now a major determinant of the influence that he or she can have over a brand campaign. Duff & Phelps sourced data from Meltwater, the vertical leader in online media intelligence solutions, on the top celebrities and their social media presence, engagement and influence index.
Commenting on the power of a celebrity’s social media influence, Christo van Wyk, Area Director – India and Middle East, Meltwater said, “Like marketers, celebrities are continuously building their brand, and those that are aware of current trends and of the difficulties in breaking through the clutter, recognize that social media is a unique opportunity to stand out above the crowd. Celebrities with well-crafted social media strategies are able to maintain relevance, build more intimate relationships with fans and garner real-time feedback on their work. Much like a corporate brand’s, a thriving social media presence can serve as a reflection of a celebrity’s public desirability."
MAM
RVCJ Group and CricTracker Unite to Build a Sports Content Powerhouse with an 85 Million Strong Social Audience
Mumbai/Bengaluru: In a significant development for India’s digital media ecosystem, RVCJ Group, one of the country’s leading digital entertainment networks, has announced a strategic partnership with CricTracker, a trusted authority in cricket journalism and analytics.
The collaboration brings together viral storytelling and data-driven sports coverage to create one of the most influential sports content ecosystems globally, unlocking new possibilities across content creation, distribution, and brand engagement.
The partnership unites two established leaders with over a decade of combined expertise in digital entertainment and cricket journalism, combining RVCJ’s large-scale audience engagement and viral storytelling with CricTracker’s credibility in sports coverage and analytics.
Together, the two platforms command a combined audience of over 85 million followers across digital and social platforms, creating a powerful network for sports content distribution and brand collaborations.
CricTracker brings a strong and highly engaged sports community with over 20.6 million followers across platforms and over 30 million monthly page views. The platform has also generated over 1.2 billion total content reach, 2.1 billion content views, and more than 105 million views on its video section during the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup 2026, making it one of the most trusted destinations for cricket fans seeking real-time insights, analysis, and updates.
Complementing this, RVCJ adds unmatched scale and distribution power with more than 65 million followers across its digital network, generating over 790 million interactions and more than 10 billion views in the last 90 days alone. This powerful combination of reach, engagement, and domain expertise positions the alliance among the most impactful digital sports content ecosystems globally.
As India’s digital sports audience continues to expand rapidly, the collaboration reflects a broader shift in the media landscape where entertainment-driven storytelling and niche editorial expertise are increasingly converging. By blending culturally relevant, shareable storytelling formats with credible, data-backed cricket coverage, the partnership aims to create engaging sports narratives tailored for today’s digital-first audiences.
Beyond content creation, the partnership will also unlock new opportunities for brands, creators, and athletes within India’s rapidly evolving digital sports ecosystem. This includes integrated brand campaigns, sponsored storytelling, branded video collaborations, display and performance advertising solutions, as well as talent management and athlete-led influencer campaigns, creating a structured environment where content, creators, and brands connect seamlessly at scale.
Commenting on the collaboration, Shahid Javed Ansari, Director, RVCJ Group, said:
“This collaboration with CricTracker is a natural extension of our vision to expand into sports content. By combining our storytelling capabilities with CricTracker’s domain expertise, we aim to create engaging and scalable sports narratives that resonate strongly with digital audiences and brands alike.”
A. Aziz Khan, Director, RVCJ Group, added:
“The sports content industry in India is evolving rapidly, and this partnership allows us to tap into one of the most passionate audience segments in the country. We see immense potential not only in content creation but also in building a strong commercial ecosystem around sports storytelling.”
Sharing his thoughts on the partnership, Syed Sujjad Pasha, CEO & Founder, CricTracker, said:
“Our vision has always been to make cricket content more engaging, accessible, and impactful for fans across India. Partnering with RVCJ enables us to combine credible cricket journalism with powerful storytelling and wider digital reach. Together, we aim to redefine how sports content is consumed and monetized in the digital era.”
With CricTracker’s strong and loyal reader base and RVCJ’s massive distribution network, the partnership significantly enhances the reach and impact of sports content across India. As digital consumption accelerates, collaborations like this highlight the future of media where content, community, and commerce converge to create scalable ecosystems.
With joint initiatives set to roll out in the coming months, the RVCJ CricTracker partnership is poised to set new benchmarks in global sports media, combining scale, credibility, and cultural relevance like never before.
