Sports
TOISA 2026 set for Lucknow on March 21
57th edition honours 2025 sporting excellence with star-studded jury.
MUMBAI: The Times of India Sports Awards just called Lucknow home for the night because when champions gather, even the city of nawabs wants a front-row seat. The eighth edition of The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA 2025) will take place on 21 March 2026 at The Centrum Hotel in Lucknow, celebrating the outstanding performances of Indian athletes from 1 January to 31 December 2025 across more than 45 sports categories.
For over a decade, TOISA has earned respect as the one night on the Indian sporting calendar judged purely on athletic merit. Recognised by federations, coaches and athletes alike, it consistently honours those who push boundaries across disciplines, regions and generations.
This year’s edition returns to Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh, a state that has steadily emerged as a powerhouse of grassroots talent in wrestling, athletics and beyond. Hosting TOISA here reflects the reality that India’s sporting excellence now runs deep into every corner of the country.
The jury for TOISA 2025 features six of India’s most decorated athletes Leander Paes (tennis), Mithali Raj (cricket), Abhinav Bindra (shooting), Devendra Jhajharia (para athletics), Sharath Kamal (table tennis) and PR Sreejesh (hockey). Their collective experience brings unmatched authority to the evaluations.
The Times of India chief operating officer Puneet Gupt said, “The Times of India has always believed that every champion deserves to be celebrated not just those the headlines follow most easily. TOISA was built on that conviction, and eight editions later, it remains the most meaningful thing we do in the sporting space. Bringing this platform to Lucknow this year is a reflection of where Indian sport is growing.”
Badminton shone brightly in 2025, earning ten nominations including Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, underlining the sport’s rising depth across singles and doubles, men and women.
Leander Paes, a jury member and Olympic medallist said, “TOISA matters because it notices. It looks beyond the obvious and finds the athletes who are quietly rewriting what Indian sport is capable of.”
Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team, added, “An evening like TOISA reminds us that those sacrifices are seen and valued. It gives the sport, and the people who play it, a dignity that goes beyond trophies.”
With nominations already highlighting a year of memorable wins and record-breaking feats, TOISA 2026 promises to be the one night where India’s sporting heroes are seen, celebrated and remembered exactly as they deserve.
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.
