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TV ad volumes drop again in January-July

By Sohail Khan 21 August 2026, 11:51 pm

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Business News›Industry›Media/Entertainment›Media›TV ad volumes drop again in January-July amid big digital shift

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TV ad volumes drop again in January-July amid big digital shift

Synopsis

Television advertising volumes fell 7% in January-July 2026 from a year earlier, extending the decline in TV advertising as brands increasingly shift budgets towards digital platforms, according to TAM AdEx. The decline follows a 9% fall in TV ad volumes during the same period in 2025. Linear TV ad revenue had also dropped 10.3% in 2025, according to a Ficci-EY report.

Govt to scrap 12-minute-per-hour advertisement cap for TV channels — Television advertising volumes declined 7% in January-July 2026 compared with the year-earlier period.

Mumbai: Television advertising volumes declined 7% in January-July 2026 compared with the year-earlier period, according to ad market tracker TAM AdEx. The decline follows a 9% fall in ad volumes in the first seven months of last calendar year.

The pressure on TV advertising comes amid a broader shift in the ad market towards digital. According to a Ficci-EY Media & Entertainment report, linear TV ad revenue fell 10.3% in 2025, driven by an 11.5% drop in ad volumes, as brands allocated higher budgets to point-of-sale advertising and the ban on real money gaming impacted sports-related ads. The number of TV advertisers came down by 3% from 2024 to 7,275 in 2025.

ALSO READ | India changes two-decade old rule to make you watch more advertisements during TV shows

ET Bureau

Category Level

Food & beverages remained the largest advertising sector, accounting for 23% of TV ad volumes, followed by services at 16% and personal care/personal hygiene at 15%. The top 10 sectors accounted for nearly 90% of ad volume.

At the category level, toilet soaps led with a 6.3% share, followed by toilet/floor cleaners (5.9%) and ecom-media/entertainment/social media (3.8%). Biscuits was a new entrant in the top 10, ranking seventh with a 2.4% share. The top 10 categories accounted for 33% of TV ad volumes.

While overall volumes declined, several categories recorded sharp growth. The ecomm-other services category registered the highest increase, with ad volumes rising 10.2 times compared with the January-July 2025 period. The category of other hairdressing grew 3.8 times and fitness equipment/clinics expanded 2.9 times. Ads in the noodles/pasta segment rose 67%, while life insurance grew 46%.

FMCG players dominated the advertiser rankings. Reckitt Benckiser (India) moved to No 1, ahead of Hindustan Unilever and Godrej Consumer Products. The top 10 advertisers accounted for 43% of TV ad volumes.

General entertainment channels remained the largest advertising genre at 30%, followed by news (25%) and movies (23%). The top five genres accounted for more than 90% of TV ad volumes.

The subdued advertising environment was flagged by broadcasters. Zee Entertainment Enterprises chief executive Punit Goenka said during the company's Q1 earnings call that subdued macroeconomic sentiment from the previous fiscal year carried into the first quarter. Continued volatility in West Asia created inflationary pressures, affecting advertisers' spending patterns, he said.

Broadcaster numbers reflected the softer environment. Ad revenue in the quarter ended June 30 declined 11% to ₹671 crore for Zee and 2.6% to ₹282.5 crore for Sun TV Network from a year earlier.

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