Sports
IPL 2026 ad race sees digital-first categories dominate CTV
E-commerce leads CTV with 35 per cent share; Google tops linear TV
MUMBAI: In the IPL’s biggest face-off yet, it’s not just bat versus ball, it’s screen versus screen. And in IPL 2026, connected TV seems to be playing a very different game from traditional television. Fresh data from TAM Sports shows that advertising trends across Linear TV and CTV diverged sharply during the first 22 matches of the tournament, underlining how brands are splitting strategies across platforms.
On CTV, digital-first categories clearly stole the spotlight. E-commerce media, entertainment and social media alone accounted for a commanding 35 per cent share of ad volumes, followed by e-commerce services at 12 per cent. Smartphones (8 per cent), cars (7 per cent) and air conditioners (5 per cent) rounded off the top five, signalling a strong tilt towards tech-savvy, urban audiences.
Linear TV, however, told a more traditional story. Mouth fresheners led with a 14 per cent share, followed by e-commerce services at 12 per cent. Categories such as e-wallets, financial institutions and paints each held a 6 per cent share, reflecting mass-market consumption patterns that continue to anchor broadcast television.
The advertiser mix further highlights this split. On CTV, Star India (JioHotstar) dominated with a hefty 35 per cent share, followed by Google at 20 per cent. Havells India and Renault India each accounted for 4 per cent, while Reliance Consumer Products stood at 3 per cent.
On Linear TV, Google emerged as the top advertiser with a 13 per cent share, followed by Reliance Consumer Products at 9 per cent. Vishnu Packaging and Havells India held 6 per cent each, with K P Pan Foods at 5 per cent.
Despite these differences, there was notable overlap. More than 25 categories and over 20 advertisers were common across both platforms during the 22-match period. E-commerce, mouth fresheners, cars and paints featured prominently across screens, while brands like Star India (JioHotstar), Google and Reliance Consumer Products maintained strong cross-platform presence.
Yet, exclusivity is where the divergence becomes sharper. CTV saw over 15 exclusive categories and more than 25 exclusive advertisers, including smartphones, astrologers and fast food outlets. Linear TV mirrored this with over 15 exclusive categories and 20-plus advertisers, led by chocolates, jewellery and personal care.
The broader takeaway is clear. IPL advertising is no longer a one-screen strategy. CTV is fast emerging as a playground for digital-native, high-engagement categories, while Linear TV continues to deliver scale for traditional mass brands.
As the tournament progresses, one thing is evident: in the advertising IPL, it’s not just about where the eyeballs are, it’s about which screen they’re on.
Sports
 JioHotstar launches commerce ad tool with Instamart to convert IPL viewers into buyers
The platform launches intent-driven advertising with Instamart, aiming to turn cricket fans into customers
MUMBAI: Streaming ads are about to get a lot more pointed. JioHotstar has launched what it calls a signal-led commerce advertising capability, a system that uses real purchase intent data to help brands find consumers who are already primed to buy, not just browse. Instamart, Swiggy’s quick-commerce arm, becomes the first partner to use the offering, which goes live during the Indian Premier League cricket season when JioHotstar’s audiences are at their largest and most engaged.
The pitch to advertisers is precision over volume. Rather than serving ads based on broad demographic slices, the new capability lets brands tap aggregated, privacy-safe insights drawn from actual purchase behaviour to identify and reach high-intent audience cohorts across JioHotstar’s premium content. Crucially, it also closes the loop: consumers can move directly from content to product exploration through integrated call-to-action formats, without leaving the viewing experience. Advertisers, in turn, get down-funnel reporting across key metrics, giving them a clearer read on what their campaigns actually did.
Anup Govindan, head of sports sales at JioStar, said the offering goes beyond watching to predicting what consumers are likely to do next. “We are enabling brands to engage audiences not just when they are watching, but when they are most receptive,” he said. “During marquee events like the TATA IPL, brands can reach the right audience at the right moment, making engagement more meaningful, measurable, and outcome-driven.”
Himavant Kurnala, senior vice-president of product at Instamart, said the partnership closes the gap between inspiration and purchase. “By aligning premium entertainment with the convenience of quick commerce, we are not just placing ads; we are creating a more relevant and frictionless shopping experience for millions of Indian households,” he said.
The launch adds to a growing suite of precision tools on JioHotstar, which already offers self-serve ads and a Shop The Look feature. With 450 million monthly average users and a library of more than 300,000 hours of programming across 19 languages, the platform has no shortage of eyeballs. The question it is now answering is whether it can turn those eyeballs into wallets.
For brands, the timing is no accident. Cricket season on JioHotstar is the closest thing Indian advertising has to the Super Bowl, a moment of mass attention that the platform is now determined to monetise with considerably more finesse than a banner ad ever could.
