Sports
Budweiser 0.0 turns Colombo into cricket party central for India-Pakistan clash
BUD Hotel, legends Jonty Rhodes, Aaron Finch, Dale Steyn and Lotus Tower takeover fuel fan frenzy.
MUMBAI: When India and Pakistan lock horns on the pitch, Budweiser 0.0 decided the real game was off it and turned the whole of Colombo into one giant, non-alcoholic roar. On Sunday evening, as the T20 World Cup delivered one of cricket’s fiercest rivalries, the brand transformed the Sri Lankan capital into an immersive fan playground. At centre stage stood the BUD Hotel, a buzzing hub where supporters, creators and tastemakers collided in a swirl of live entertainment, curated vibes and pure match-day electricity.
True to form, Budweiser rolled out its signature Bud & Burgers ritual, blending food, fandom and culture into high-octane moments that kept the energy crackling. The guest list? Cricket royalty, Jonty Rhodes, Aaron Finch and Dale Steyn dropped in, not as distant icons but as part of the crowd, chatting, cheering and closing the gap between legends and everyday fans.
The brand didn’t stop at hospitality. Budweiser 0.0 flew in supporters and sports lovers from across India for the marquee fixture, giving them ringside seats to the action plus a full immersion in city-wide programming. The takeover reached sky-high when the iconic Lotus Tower lit up in Budweiser colours, a glowing beacon visible across Colombo, signalling that this wasn’t just a match, it was a movement.
Music added extra spice, Singaporean-Tamil rapper Yung Raja, famous for his bilingual “Tanglish” flow, delivered a special mid-innings performance that turned the break into a full-on sonic celebration, bridging the boundary rope and the global stage.
Fans flooded the streets in limited-edition Budweiser 0.0 jerseys, turning the city into a sea of blue pride and shared adrenaline. From immersive hangouts to cultural beats and fan-first touches, the activation amplified everything that makes India vs Pakistan special passion, noise, community without a drop of alcohol in sight.
AB Inbev India, vice president of marketing & trade marketing Vineet Sharma summed up the vibe, “In this T20 World Cup, Budweiser 0.0 is aiming to build a new standard for fan-first cricket experiences… From the BUD Hotel to the Lotus Tower takeover, and with legends Jonty Rhodes, Aaron Finch and Dale Steyn joining the fan-first Bud and Burgers experience, we created an unforgettable expression of passion, celebrations and community.”
While the scoreboard settled the on-field battle, off it Budweiser 0.0 proved that the biggest sixes can sometimes come from throwing the ultimate party, one where every fan feels like they’re in the middle of the action.
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.
