MAM
MSM ups the ante for promoting IPL
MUMBAI: With just a month and a half left for cricket’s biggest extravaganza to begin, Max, the official broadcaster of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has embarked on an extensive marketing campaign that is aimed at improving viewer stickiness and increasing the engagement level.
The theme of the marketing campaign is ‘Sirf Dekhneka Nahi’ which calls upon viewers to celebrate every boundary hit or fall of wicket like they would do in a stadium.
While executives at Multi Screen Media refused to talk about the extent of marketing spends, sources say the broadcaster has earmarked Rs 220-250 million for the pan-India marketing campaign.
The marketing spends have gone up by 20-25 per cent over last year, the source added.
Almost 60 per cent of the marketing budget will be devoted towards television and print, while the remaining 40 per cent will go towards mediums like radio, outdoor, digital and on-ground activations.
The broadcaster is also evaluating whether or not to advertise during the India-Australia Test series which will air on Star Cricket.
With dance being the key feature of the campaign, the broadcaster has roped in ace choreographer Farah Khan who would feature in a series of television commercials.
The campaign drawn from the insight that cricket is not just a game but a passion will see Farah asking viewers to support their favourite team by grooving to the signature IPL tune composed by the music director duo of Vishal and Shekhar.
MSM COO NP Singh said that the idea behind the campaign is to raise the engagement level around the IPL by engaging cricket fans through various touch-points like television, radio, print, digital and outdoor.
“It became a passive viewing habit, so we wanted to increase the level of participation among the viewers. Therefore the campaign theme ‘Sirf Dekhneka Nahi‘. The same theme will be used across all our marketing campaign whether it is print, outdoor or digital,” said Singh.
According to him, dance has a universal appeal and will help the broadcaster in breaking through the barriers of age and language.
“Dance has a universal appeal and it cuts across all age groups and demographics. The idea is to make IPL successful through this campaign by engaging viewers,” he added.
The marketing budget for the IPL has gone up vis-?-vis last year. However, Singh refused to talk about it.
“Like every year, we will pull out all stops to promote the IPL. We will use all our network channels to push the marketing campaign. This time our network is much bigger than last year,” Singh asserted.
Max’s creative agency JWT has created a series of three short films, three dance instruction videos and one big grand film featuring the choreographer.
The three short films will showcase women, working professionals and families celebrating the IPL together with Farah Khan teaching them the signature dance steps. These campaign films will lead to the grand film which will highlight how IPL binds cricket with dance and celebration.
Singh feels that the IPL ratings are still holding strong at an average of 3.5 TVR compared to an all-time high of 5.51 TVR that it achieved in 2010 when the tournament returned to India.
“My belief is that the IPL ratings have stabilised at a strong 3.5 TVR level, despite the fact that the number of matches have gone up. My feeling is that the ratings this year will be better than last year. The marketing campaign that we have launched will help us attract viewers to watch the IPL,” he averred.
IPL’s format coupled with the presence of a galaxy of cricket stars both Indian and foreign is what will deliver ratings for IPL, believes Singh.
MSM EVP and Business Head of Max Neeraj Vyas revealed that the broadcaster will go for large-scale activations on digital medium. The strategy is to go viral as the campaign lends itself to the digital medium.
“While television will be the main stay of the campaign, we will also have activations on mobile and internet as song and dance lends itself to this medium. For example we will ask users to upload videos as to how they will celebrate when a boundary is hit or a wicket falls,” he says.
MSM SVP and marketing & communications head of Max Gaurav Seth said the thought behind the campaign is to make viewers excited about the IPL which would lead to greater stickiness.
“The message is not to just sit at home and watch it passively. What we are saying is like you celebrate in the stadium when a boundary is hit, why not do that at home,” Seth elaborated.
Seth said that the brief given to the agency was to create a campaign that reflects India’s passion for the game. He also feels that unlike cricket IPL is more of a family phenomenon and therefore the campaigns are designed in a manner that it appeals to each member of the family.
“The campaign is designed in such a way that it showcases IPL as the ultimate sports and entertainment property in India. Tell me one property that delivers that so much value to advertisers and viewers,” Seth maintained.
For the record, MSM has roped in three sponsors for season 6 of IPL. Vodafone and Pepsi have come on board as co-presenting sponsors, while Tata DoCoMo is going to be an associate sponsor. MSM is looking at two co-presenting and eight associate sponsors.
The IPL this year will be simulcast on Max, which has been the home of IPL for the last year five years, and sports entertainment channel Six. The IPL will be available on a High Definition (HD) feed in English and a Standard Definition feed in Hindi on Six and a SD feed on Max.
Featuring nine teams and 76 games, the IPL will be held from 3 April to 26 May.
MAM
India’s financial sector spent less on TV ads in 2025 but flooded the internet
Banks, insurers and lenders cut tv ads as digital jumps, LIC and Muthoot lead tv and Axis Bank tops online
MUMBAI: India’s banking, financial services and insurance sector, one of the most prolific advertisers in the country, delivered a split verdict on media in 2025. It spent less on television, held its nerve in print, turned up the volume on radio and deluged the internet with a ferocity that left every other medium looking pedestrian. The picture that emerges from TAM AdEx’s cross-media report for the BFSI sector is of an industry in transition, still wedded to the news bulletin but increasingly seduced by the algorithm.
Television: a retreat with caveats
TV ad volumes for the BFSI sector fell 16 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024, a sharp reversal after two years of consistent growth that had pushed volumes 16 per cent above 2021 levels by 2023 and a further 7 per cent higher by 2024. Within 2025 itself, the drop was concentrated in the middle of the year: the second and third quarters saw ad volumes slide 35 per cent each against the first quarter, with a partial recovery of 13 per cent in the fourth.
The retreat did not reshuffle the deck. Life insurance retained first place among TV categories with 19 per cent of ad volumes, mortgage loans held second with 16 per cent, and the top ten categories together accounted for 82 per cent of all BFSI television advertising. The dominance of news channels was equally pronounced: news claimed 68 per cent of ad volumes, general entertainment channels a distant 14 per cent and movies 12 per cent. Together, news and GEC captured 82 per cent of the sector’s television spend. News bulletins alone took 48 per cent of programme-genre volumes, with feature films second at 12 per cent. Prime time, between 6pm and 11pm, drew 34 per cent of ad volumes, followed by afternoon at 22 per cent and morning at 20 per cent. A full 82 per cent of all ads ran between 20 and 40 seconds.
Life Insurance Corporation of India was the sector’s biggest TV spender with 11 per cent of ad volumes. Muthoot Financial Enterprises came second with 9 per cent, followed by National Payments Corporation of India at 6 per cent, Tata AIG General Insurance at 5 per cent and State Bank of India at 5 per cent. The top ten advertisers together accounted for 51 per cent of total TV volumes. Three names were new to the top ten in 2025: Tata AIG General Insurance, IIFL Finance and Tata Capital. At brand level, Muthoot Finance Loan Against Gold led with 9 per cent share, Tata AIG Health Insurance entered the top ten for the first time, and the top ten brands together contributed 35 per cent of ad volumes.
Print: the long climb continues
Print told a different story. Ad space for the BFSI sector has grown every year since 2021, rising 16 per cent in 2022, 30 per cent in 2023, 51 per cent in 2024 and 64 per cent in 2025, all measured against a 2021 baseline. Within 2025, ad space was flat in the second quarter but surged 46 per cent in the third and 33 per cent in the fourth compared with the first. Life insurance led print categories with 21 per cent of ad space, followed by mutual funds and banking services and products at 13 per cent each, and corporate financial institutes at 11 per cent. The top ten categories together took 82 per cent of print ad space. LIC led print advertisers with 6 per cent share, and the top ten together covered just 19 per cent of ad space, a reflection of how fragmented print spending remains. Three new entrants joined the top ten in 2025, with Billion Brains Garage Ventures the only exclusive presence not seen in 2024’s list. In the top ten brands, LIC dominated with a 2 per cent share, while Nippon India Mutual Fund rose to third position from fourth in 2024. English accounted for 62 per cent of print ad space, Hindi for 20 per cent. Business and finance publications took 59 per cent of the genre split. The south zone led regional spending with 33 per cent of print ad space, Bangalore topping that zone, while New Delhi and Mumbai were the leading cities nationally.
Radio: louder than ever
Radio ad volumes for the BFSI sector have climbed steadily, rising 12 per cent above 2021 levels in 2023, 36 per cent in 2024 and 45 per cent in 2025. The quarterly pattern within 2025 was volatile: a sharp drop of 43 per cent in the second quarter and 42 per cent in the third, followed by a near-full recovery in the fourth. Life insurance led radio categories with 22 per cent of volumes, banking services and products second at 14 per cent and corporate NBFCs third at 11 per cent. LIC of India held its position as the leading radio advertiser with 20 per cent of ad volumes; the top ten radio advertisers together covered 69 per cent. Muthoot Financial Enterprises led radio brands with 10 per cent share, five of the top ten brands belonged to LIC alone, and SBI Mutual Fund made a remarkable leap to fifth position from 272nd in 2024. Evening and morning time-bands together captured 84 per cent of radio ad volumes, with evenings at 44 per cent and mornings at 40 per cent. Maharashtra was the leading state for radio BFSI advertising with 18 per cent share; Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh together accounted for 43 per cent.
Digital: the five-times surge
If one number defines the 2025 BFSI advertising story, it is five. Digital ad impressions for the sector multiplied fivefold between 2021 and 2025, having already doubled in 2023 and doubled again in 2024 before the 2025 leap. Within the year, impressions dipped 19 per cent in the second quarter and 12 per cent in the third before recovering 8 per cent above the first quarter by the fourth. Banking services and products led digital categories with 27 per cent of impressions, life insurance and credit cards tied at 19 per cent each, and securities and sharebroking organisations fell from first place in 2024 to fourth in 2025. Axis Bank was the runaway leader among digital advertisers with 12 per cent of impressions, followed by ICICI Bank at 9 per cent, IDFC First Bank at 7 per cent and Kotak Mahindra Bank at 6 per cent. The top ten digital advertisers covered 59 per cent of impressions, and seven of them were new entrants compared with 2024, signalling rapid churn in the digital spending hierarchy. At brand level, Axis Bank led with 9 per cent, ICICI HPCL Super Saver Credit Card vaulted to third place from 921st in 2024, and six of the top ten digital brands were new to the list. Programmatic buying accounted for 91 per cent of all digital BFSI transactions; combined with ad networks, it captured 96 per cent.
The data from TAM AdEx paints the portrait of a sector that still believes in the power of the television news bulletin to sell insurance to the masses, but increasingly knows that the next generation of borrowers, investors and cardholders is scrolling, not watching. The race is now on to reach them before the algorithm serves up someone else’s loan offer first.
