New Delhi: With the IPL 2025 playoffs beginning May 29 with Punjab Kings taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1, advertisers are scrambling to secure the last few remaining ad slots.
With the final scheduled for June 3, ad inventories across platforms are nearly sold out, particularly for brands that did not book packages earlier in the season.
“There’s virtually no inventory left on Connected TV,” said a senior media agency head. “Even on linear television, spot availability is scarce, with rates soaring to Rs 50 lakh for just 10 seconds. The demand is unprecedented.”
While pan-India inventory is nearly exhausted, some regional language feed slots may still be available. “These are typically picked up by local advertisers, so a few may remain, but even those are filling fast,” the planner added.
On mobile, there’s no set benchmark since ad sales are being done on an impression-based model. However, JioStar is charging a 30–40% premium compared to regular rates, said another advertiser.
Industry executives anticipate further rate hikes as JioStar, the media rights holder, looks to maximise monetisation during the tournament’s final leg.
“Inventory that was available even 10 days ago has completely dried up,” said a senior media planner. “Interestingly, clients who opted out of IPL advertising earlier are now reaching out, eager to enter during the playoffs.”
JioStar is estimated to close the season with ad revenues between Rs 4,800 crore and Rs 4,900 crore, surpassing last year’s performance, according to a company executive who spoke to BestMediaInfo.com.
Beyond ad sales, the IPL has been a strong driver of subscription growth across JioStar’s TV and digital platforms.
To retain momentum after the tournament, JioStar has acquired digital streaming rights for India’s tours of England in 2025 and 2026 from Sony Sports. Sony will continue airing the matches on television, while JioStar will stream them exclusively online.
This move is part of a broader strategy to ensure year-round cricket engagement, with upcoming properties including India’s home series against the West Indies and tours of Australia and South Africa.
“The aim is to keep subscribers engaged beyond the IPL by offering a continuous stream of premium cricket content,” said a senior media executive.
For television (SD + HD feeds), 10-second ad slots for IPL were priced at Rs 18 lakh, a 9.75% hike from Rs 16.4 lakh in 2024. The standalone CTV rate floated by JioStar was Rs 8.5 lakh per 10 seconds.
On mobile, the base rate was Rs 250 per CPM. Premium inventory targeting iOS and high-end Android devices (priced above Rs 50,000) was priced at Rs 480 per CPM. JioStar also offered bundled “Premium Video” plus CTV slots at Rs 12 lakh for 10 seconds.
According to TAM’s adex report covering the first 62 matches, IPL 2025 has seen robust brand activity, with brand count up 26% and advertiser count rising by 24% compared to the previous season. Parle Biscuits led as the top advertiser, followed by Vishnu Packaging (Vimal Elaichi), Reliance Consumer Products, Sports Technologies (Dream11), and KP Pan Foods (Kamla Pasand).
Despite an unexpected mid-season pause due to escalating geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, the tournament resumed on May 17, with advertiser interest bouncing back in full force.
This season, JioStar onboarded over 20 sponsors, including My11Circle, Campa Energy, Birla Opus, PokerBaazi, SBI, PhonePe, Mutual Funds Sahi Hai, Thums Up, Google Search, Allen Solly, Jaquar Bath+Light, GPay, Kent Kuhl Fans, Dream11, Joy Cosmetics, TVS, Asian Paints, Zupee, and Amul.
